Tears and Smiles
by Mira Lea
Summary: Sesshoumaru has been in an abusive home since he was nine.He meets Kagome, who used to be abused before she got adopted.What happens when the man who is the abuser, turns out to be an international drug lord?SessKag
1. Prologue

Tears and Smiles  
  
Prologue  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated: PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and fluff later on  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha  
  
He ran as fast as his short legs would carry him, the bramble catching at him as he moved through the trees. He hadn't meant to ruin the trip, it just happened. A man's shouts followed by a woman's chased after him. He scrambled up a tree that seemed high enough, praying that they wouldn't catch him. The man's yells came closer and soon his stepfather appeared under his tree, searching for him. The boy prayed silently that he would just go away. He kept his eyes closed and dreamed of the times before his mother had met this man.  
  
A scratchy sound below him made him peek down and see his stepfather starting up the tree. A woman came stumbling into the clearing and she screamed at him. "YUGASAGI!! GET AWAY FROM HIM!! HE'S MY SON BEFORE YOURS AND HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!" It didn't deter the twelve year-old boy's stepfather from continually climbing up the tree and getting ever closer to him. He reached up and grabbed the boy's foot, yanking him down to the ground below the tree. His right hand hit a sharp rock as he landed and he screamed. Lifting his right hand up he saw a perfect crescent moon shaped gash, deep enough that he'd be scarred from it for the rest of his life.  
  
More scratchy sounds and his stepfather was upon him, kicking, punching, and beating. The boy just cried and let it happen. As far as he knew, he was being punished again. He could remember after his mother's marriage to this man when he was nine, how the man had started to beat him for different things. He remembered his mother being powerless to stop him because he'd just knock her out too. He could remember when his mother had tried to file for divorce one year ago, and how his stepfather had walked through it so easily.  
  
The beatings slowed and finally stopped and the boy could dimly hear his mother's sobs. He truly hadn't meant to knock over his stepfather's cooler that had all the beer in it. His mother hadn't wanted it there anyway. Finally opening his eyes the boy found his mother leaning over him and his stepfather walking back to the campsite. He smiled at his mother through a swollen and bruised face and she just cried even harder. "I'll be ok okaasan. I'm just being punished, right?" The boy's mother shook her head still crying. "Ite. You shouldn't have to go through this. It's all just my stupid mistake." The boy wrapped his arms around his mother even though it hurt to move. They stayed there until she had calmed.  
  
~*~*~A/N~*~*~ Hi everybody.... ok this is the Prologue. Chapter 1 is definitely coming soon and you'll find out who this boy is!! I bet you can already guess. Just to warn you this isn't the normal couple you'd think it is ^.~ JA NE!!!   
  
Elbereth 


	2. Never Ending Nightmare

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 1: Never Ending Nightmare  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated: PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and some fluff later on  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha   
  
~*~*~A/N~*~*~ Lot's of OOC stuff in this story. That includes people's personalities.  
  
Sesshoumaru bolted out of the house at five a.m., hoping that no one would wake up to see him leaving. His silver hair was in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his amber eyes flashed with worry. He left this early every morning just to stay away from his stepfather. Glancing around the school courtyard to make sure that not even a teacher was there he sauntered in quietly, pulling two biker gloves on as he did. He looked like a badass with his baggy jeans and tight t-shirts that showed off his well muscled but lean, tall body, but in reality that was his front. No one knew that he was really just some quiet guy who had an abusive stepfather. Checking the courtyard again he sighed and decided that even this was early for him.   
  
He'd started leaving earlier and earlier depending on when his stepfather got up. He never wanted to run into him in the mornings, so steering clear by getting up and leaving before Yugasagi got up seemed the best way. Sesshoumaru wandered out into the street and walked to his friend Inuyasha's. He sat outside for a while, just watching Inuyasha's house and thinking on how much he envied him. Inuyasha was rich, had a loving family, and was going out with Kikyou, the most popular girl.  
  
The front door opened and Inuyasha and his older brother Miroku(A/N weird, ne) walked out of the house. Their black hair and grey eyes were the only traces of their relationship. They both stopped when they saw Sesshoumaru, Miroku with a slight grin. Inuyasha walked up to Sesshoumaru and slapped him on the back. "Hey Sesshoumaru. You leave early again?" Sesshoumaru nodded. Miroku raised an eyebrow at the two but walked with them toward Kikyou's house. "Why do you leave so early anyway?" Sesshoumaru just shook his head. "No reason." Inuyasha took that as a good answer and started rambling about his date with Kikyou. As if called she popped up with a bright smile on her face, her black hair looking a little fried, like it'd had a bad hair drying accident. She had light blue eyes that were sparkling.  
  
"Hi Inu." She batted her lashes at him and Inuyasha turned into puddy. "Hi Kikyou." Sesshoumaru and Miroku rolled their eyes and watched as Kikyou led Inuyasha away, her chatter driving them up the wall. Sesshoumaru mentally took back his thought about envying Inuyasha for going out with Kikyou. She was just too damn annoying. Miroku tapped him on the shoulder and Sesshoumaru looked at him. "Before Kouga gets here and ruins the peace and quiet I want to ask you something. What's really going on? You're not leaving this early out of pure pleasure." Sesshoumaru gave a nervous laugh and coughed. "What if it is purely pleasure at the wonderful morning Miroku?" Miroku rolled his eyes. "You've never been a morning person Sesshoumaru. Every time you stay at our house you don't get up till noon. What's going on, ka?"  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed. "Nothing Miroku. Just leave it alone." Miroku's concerned face never changed but he did agree to drop the subject, for the moment at least. As they arrived at the school courtyard again they were mobbed by Kouga and Sango, who were closely followed by Rin and Jaken. Miroku immediately wrapped his arms around Sango while Jaken followed Sesshoumaru around. Jaken had a slight, shall we say, obsession, with Sesshoumaru. Miroku and Sango followed Kikyou and Inuyasha very closely in mushy fluffiness. Then they were tailed by Kagura and Naraku(yes they're ok ppl O_o), as the third cutest couple in the school. Sesshoumaru didn't see the point of voting on cutest couples. Shippou and Kanna walked up followed shortly by Kagura and Naraku. The group was now complete. Well almost. They still needed Sango's younger brother Kohaku and Ayame to show up. Just as soon as it was thought they were there. Kohaku and Rin were suddenly holding hands while Ayame and Kouga made out.  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed as he looked at the couples. Everyone else was happy with a boyfriend or girlfriend, but there he was, girlfriendless. Everyone had tried to hook him up, but he was just either too badass or not badass enough for anyone they tried to hook him up with. He glanced around the courtyard that was slowly filling up with people. The mindless conversation his friends were having didn't seem important as he watched different people walking around. He envied them for the fact that they didn't have to deal with what he had to deal with.  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts when a new face caught his eye. A girl was walking into the school courtyard with her head bowed slightly. Her long ebony tresses swayed slightly in the breeze and from where he was he could tell her eyes were chocolate brown. Sesshoumaru watched her as she sat down on a bench and pulled a book out of her bag. He glanced at his friends, who were all busy either making out or talking, and walked up to the new girl. "Er...Hi....I'm Sesshoumaru. And you are?" The girl looked up at him from her book and smiled a shy smile. "I'm Kagome." Sesshoumaru smiled and sat down beside her. "This your first day here?" Kagome nodded. "I just moved here from Yokohama."  
  
"Yokohama, ka? That's kinda far away from Tokyo isn't it?" Kagome nodded again. "My mom wanted to live on a shrine that has been in our family. My aunt was the owner but when she died the whole place went to my family." Sesshoumaru nodded. "Hey... The bell's about to ring, but I'd like to get to know you a little better, ne. How about I walk you home after school?" Kagome put a finger to her lips in thought. "Find me at lunch and you'll get my answer." The bell rang just then and Kagome got up with her stuff and left Sesshoumaru to stare at her.  
  
He followed shortly after and sped to his classes. Lunch didn't seem to come early enough, but when the bell rang he raced to the lunch room and sat at the first table, watching the door intently. Kagome came in only a few minutes after him and looked up to smile at him. She sat down across from him and nodded. "You can walk me home but I better not feel any wandering hands." Sesshoumaru nodded and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not a perv." Kagome nodded again. "Right. Well I guess I'll see you after school. Meet me at the same bench we met at this morning." With that she stood and walked off.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome stood up as Sesshoumaru approached the bench she was sitting on. "C'mon before that weird guy Hiten messes with me again. I don't think I could've lasted class much longer and he was stalking me in the hallway." Sesshoumaru nodded and walked with her down the street. They walked for a moment in silence before Kagome cleared her throat. "Well... What do you want to know?" Sesshoumaru shrugged. "What's your family like?" Kagome sighed. "I have a younger brother named Souta who's really into video games. I can time it perfectly when he'll start a game and when he'll finally turn his game console off. I can even time when he'll beat the game. My mom is really nice and we're kind of poor now that we've moved, but jii-chan is going to move in with us and help with the finances."   
  
"That's cool." Kagome glanced at him as they walked. "If I tell you a secret will you promise never to tell anyone?" Sesshoumaru nodded. Kagome looked around to make sure no one was nearby to overhear her. Even she wasn't sure why she was trusting him with this. They were alone walking down the sidewalk but she still lowered her voice. "My dad is in prison and my mom is actually an adoptive mother. My real mom died when I was two and left me to my dad. He fell into a depression and started beating me whenever I annoyed him or he was angry. My teacher called DHS on him and I was taken to a man who took care of me at age six, but he started beating me too. He turned out to be an ex-con and a drunk. I was taken to Mrs. Higurashi when I was eight. " Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome in shock.  
  
"So you mean.... Your real dad was abusive and then you got adopted by another abuser but were finally adopted by Mrs. Higurashi." Kagome nodded and Sesshoumaru smiled. "Well at least your away from your dad and that other guy. What would have happened if no one had found out and you turned up beaten so badly you were dying." Sesshoumaru stopped talking suddenly when he realized he was giving her the same pep talk that he should have given himself a long time ago. Kagome was nodding as they approached the stairs to her shrine. "Do you want to come up and meet my mom and Souta?" Sesshoumaru nodded. He followed Kagome up the stairs and by the time he reached the top was breathing heavily. Kagome gave him a playful shove and smiled. "You can't be that out of shape." Laughing she walked to the front door and opened it while trying to pull her shoes off at the same time. Sesshoumaru followed her and walked into a living room with a little boy sitting on the couch, controller in hand, tongue sticking out slightly, and staring at the TV like it was the world.  
  
"That's Souta. He'll come out of his trance around dinnertime. As for my mom..." A door opened and a kind woman's voice came from the kitchen. "Kagome are you home?" Kagome smiled and hauled Sesshoumaru to the kitchen. "Hai okaasan. I brought a friend to meet you. This is Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru this is my mom." Sesshoumaru bowed to Mrs. Higurashi and she returned the bow. "So nice to see that Kagome has friends. No one seemed to like her in Yokohama." Kagome blushed and mumbled, "He doesn't need to know about that." Mrs. Higurashi smiled and nodded before turning back to Sesshoumaru. "How about you call your parents and ask if you can stay for dinner? I'm making meso soup and fish." Sesshoumaru smiled and nodded. "Sounds great! Where's the phone?"  
  
Kagome handed him a cordless and he dialed his mom's cell without a thought. "Hai?" Came his mother's voice. "Okaasan? It's Sesshoumaru. I was wondering if I could eat dinner at a friend's house tonight." There was a pause on the other line before Sesshoumaru's mother spoke. "When will you be home?" Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome for help. "I'll be home by seven- thirty." There was another pause before his mother spoke again. "Seven-thirty it is." There was a click and Sesshoumaru knew she'd hung up. He handed the phone to Kagome who put it on its stand and turned to him. "So it's a yes?" He nodded.  
  
"C'mon, we'll wait for dinner in my room." Sesshoumaru followed Kagome up to the second story where she shoved a door open and he entered his dream room. Her shelves were full of books. No TV, just books and CDs and a radio. There was a desk against the wall that the door was on, only spaced from the door by a trash can. It held a lamp and some other miscellaneous objects. On the right hand wall there was a closet and a night stand with an alarmclock on it. On the wall opposite the door was the bed and a window. Then on the left hand wall were the shelves with all the books. "Have you really read all these books, Kagome?" Kagome blushed and nodded. Sesshoumaru looked at the titles of the books. "You have The Iliad?" Kagome nodded again as Sesshoumaru continued looking over her books. "You can borrow some if you want." Sesshoumaru blinked. "Hontouni?"  
  
"Yes really. I've read almost all of them at least twice." Sesshoumaru smiled and started to pull a few off the shelves. After grabbing five books he put them in his bag and sighed. "Thanks for lending me some of these books. I've always loved reading." Kagome nodded. "Me too." They started to discuss their favorites and found that they had a lot in common as the conversation turned. Kagome's mother called them down for dinner. They ran down the stairs like little kids, laughing and smiling. Kagome's mom set the food down in front of four of the places at the table, which was made for eight.  
  
Souta came in a second later and sat across from Sesshoumaru, right next to Kagome. "Kagome nee-chan. Who's this guy?" Kagome smiled and introduced Souta to Sesshoumaru. Souta cocked his head to one side and said, "Are you my sister's boyfriend?" Kagome popped her brother on the back of his head as their mother carried the pot of soup in. Their plates held the fish and vegetables. She spooned out soup to everyone and sat down at the head of the table. "You know Sesshoumaru, it's really good to have company for dinner. It's been so long since Kagome's had a real friend. I mean one that would actually come over and have dinner and you know the rest." Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome buried her face in her hands. She looked up and continued eating, but not without seeing Sesshoumaru smiling at her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome walked Sesshoumaru down to the bottom of the stairs at seven-fifteen. They had finished dinner by six-thirty but Sesshoumaru had wanted to talk some more. Kagome had shown him around the shrine a little, explained the different artifacts and stated that her crazy grandfather would know more. Sesshoumaru listened to her explanations and put in his sarcastic comments or whatever came to mind. Finally seven rolled around and they decided to go get his stuff and head back down the stairs. As they walked down the many steps Sesshoumaru talked about his friends and told Kagome she'd meet them tomorrow. As he stepped off the last step he said he'd come by her house tomorrow morning before school. Then he darted off towards his home.  
  
As Sesshoumaru entered his house he heard his mother and stepfather watching the TV and tried to creep as quietly as possible up the stairs. He reached his room and had just opened the door when his stepfather yelled at him. "SESSHOUMARU!!WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN ALL EVENING? YOUR MOTHER SAYS YOU WERE AT A FRIEND'S, BUT I THINK YOU WERE AT A CLUB!!"  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed and took the stairs two at a time. He knew that his stepfather was drunk so he simply stood before him. "I really was at a friend's house. You can call and ask." Yugasagi turned purple with rage and screamed, "YOU'RE JUST LYING YOU UNGRATEFUL SON OF A BITCH!!! I OUGHT TO..." Instead of finishing what he was going to say Yugasagi stood up and backhanded Sesshoumaru. His mother was up immediately trying to calm him and keep Sesshoumaru safe.  
  
She was shoved out of the way and Sesshoumaru felt a fist connect with his stomach. He fell backwards and ended up sitting on the fireplace. The bricks hurt but he was glad they didn't knock him out. Yugasagi yanked him up by the collar and threw him into the opposite wall. Sesshoumaru felt a cut form on his forehead where a picture frame made contact. He didn't care though. He was thrown again, this time into the bookshelves he wasn't allowed to touch. He felt an uncomfortable crack and knew something was at least sprained. Sure enough when he made to push himself off the floor his left wrist was sprained. Yugasagi hoisted him up again and Sesshoumaru saw it all through slow motion like in the movies. He was being picked up and was then thrown towards the fireplace. He watched as the bricks came closer and put his arms up to shield his face. The next thing he knew he had made contact and a blissful unconsciousness took him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru woke up in serious pain and glanced around his room. His mother had her head on his bed with her arms folded as a pillow. She was on her knees on the floor and looked worn out. Sesshoumaru tried to sit up and winced. Everything hurt from where he'd met the bricks, and his wrist was still sprained but had been properly bandaged. He was glad nothing had been broken. He looked at his alarm, it read four- thirty. He sighed and started to climb out of bed, not ready to tell his friends he'd gotten into an accident or street fight as usual. What was he going to tell Kagome? Sighing again he pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a baggy black t-shirt. He yanked his shoes on and grabbed his bag along with his gloves, which he shoved on gently.  
  
He walked to Kagome's house slowly, knowing it was still way too early for her to be getting ready for school. He didn't care though, and just continued up the stairs to her shrine. He stood outside watching the silent house and shrine grounds. He could feel a mysterious pull coming from the well-house, kind of like a wisp of a memory. You could just almost grasp it. He shook his head and walked up to the door, the sun just then starting to rise.  
  
~*~*~A/N~*~*~ So what do you think so far??? I like it, but that's just me. I didn't know about the pairing at first but it turned out pretty cool. I'm a Kag/Inu fan myself, but then again opinions can change. Look for chapter 2 within a week or so, depending on if I get writer's block or not. Give me a review or no more chapters!!   
  
Ja ne!!  
  
Elbereth  
  
Glossary:  
  
Hontouni~really  
  
Okaasan~mother(formal)  
  
Nee-chan~sister(informal)  
  
Hai~yes  
  
Jii-chan~grandpa(informal) used only by young children, girls, sort of like calling an old man gramps  
  
Ka~huh  
  
Ja ne~bye 


	3. New Friends, New Enemies

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 2: New Friends, New Enemies  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated: PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and some fluff later on ^.~  
  
Sesshoumaru waited until his watch read five-thirty and all the lights in the Higurashi house were on. He knocked on the door and Mrs. Higurashi opened it a few seconds later. She smiled brightly but frowned just as quickly when she got a good look at him. "Sesshoumaru? What happened?" Sesshoumaru sighed and let himself be ushered inside to the kitchen. "I just got into a fight yesterday, that's all." Mrs. Higurashi nodded but looked like she didn't believe him. She dabbed at a cut on his head that had dried blood all around it. She looked all his wounds over and sighed.   
  
Kagome came down right after the cleaning and smiled at Sesshoumaru. She walked up to him and touched his cut. "You ought to be more careful Sesshoumaru." He nodded and Kagome sat down next to him, shortly followed by Souta, who was still in his pajamas. Mrs. Higurashi brought out her prepared breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs and set a plate in front of everyone, including Sesshoumaru. He smiled and tried to push it away saying, "I couldn't. Not after you fed me last night and all." But Mrs. Higurashi just smiled and put some food on his plate. He finally gave up and ate.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi gave everyone a packed lunch, including Sesshoumaru, who for once felt like someone cared about him, besides his own mother at least. Mrs. Higurashi had told him to stop complaining, and that she'd make him a lunch everyday if he wanted. Sesshoumaru had agreed to that when Kagome had hinted that her mother left quite a few sweets for a surprise. As Kagome and Sesshoumaru walked down the steps Kagome looked at him carefully. "You didn't really get into a fight, did you?" Sesshoumaru blinked but kept walking. "What makes you think that?" Kagome sighed. "Because it sounds like one of the excuses I used to make for my bruises and cuts." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes but kept walking. "It's nothing Kagome. I promise." Kagome gazed at him for a few minutes before nodding. "Alright. If you say so."  
  
They approached the school and immediately Inuyasha, Kikyou, Miroku, Rin, Jaken, Kouga, and Sango popped up. Sesshoumaru could already see Shippou, Kanna, Kohaku, Ayame, Naraku, and Kagura headed their way. "Hey Sesshoumaru. I called you last night to see if you wanted to go clubbing but your mom said you were at a friend's." Inuyasha looked at Kagome who blushed slightly and looked towards the ground.  
  
"I ate at Kagome's house last night. That's where I was." Everyone looked at Kagome who felt like hunkering into herself. Everyone went through their introductions, last of all being Kouga and Jaken. Kagome didn't necessarily like either of them, but didn't have time to say anything to the guys because all the girls hauled her a few yards away. "So are you going out with Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked with a hint of jealousy. Kagome shook her head. "I only met him yesterday. Why would I go out with him?" Everyone shrugged and soon Kagome had gotten to know each girl. Only one of them she didn't like, and that was Kikyou. They looked slightly similar, but the girl had an evil aura. She put on the stupid git act but in reality Kagome could tell she was very intelligent and used it to her advantage.  
  
Someone tapped Kagome on the shoulder and she had to keep from groaning when she saw Hiten. "Hello beautiful lady. May I join your group of friends today?" He had her hand now and was trying to kiss it. Kagome pulled her hand out of his and glared at him. "No you may not join us. I would prefer it if you'd leave me alone." Hiten looked a little thunderstruck(ironic, ne).  
  
Kikyou took her chance to poke at Kagome. "Why not new girl? Don't you like our school's badass hottie?" Kagome turned to her. "No I don't like him." Kikyou looked murderous and Hiten slowly backed away, afraid a cat fight was getting ready to start. Kikyou stalked off and all the other girls swarmed around Kagome, telling her how brave she was to stand up to Kikyou. A few minutes went by when Kagome felt a tug at her sleeve. She turned and had to look down at the short guy named Jaken. He handed her a note and scurried back to hide behind Sesshoumaru. Kagome opened it and nearly face faulted. Written on the notebook paper was Jaken's number with a heart. Then underneath it were the words: You are the beauty of my heart, fair Kagome. Please go out with me.  
  
Kagome tossed the paper into a trash can as the bell rang. She went through her classes with a few new friends in each, except in her final class. Hiten took the seat right behind Kagome and wrote something down. Kagome tried to ignore him, but when his hand kept somehow running through her hair, it proved to be a little harder than expected. The final straw was when class ended as she was standing up to leave Hiten spun her around by her shoulder and kissed her. Kagome pulled away and gave him a full force slap. She then backhanded him and repeated to over and over for a few minutes.  
  
She left the classroom with Hiten lying on the floor swirly eyed(@ .@). Kagome went outside and sat down on a bench, yanking her discman out and putting the headphones on. She stared at the passing students and wondered what Sesshoumaru was doing. Someone tapped her on the back and she jumped. When she turned she found Jaken looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Kagome pulled her headphones off and looked at him. "Will you please go out with me?" Kagome rolled her eyes. "Gomen, but no. I kinda like someone else." Kagome said the first thing that popped into her head. She got up to leave when someone yelled at her. "MATTE KAGOME!!" Kagome turned to see Hiten running towards her, arms open wide. Kagome turned tail and ran as fast as she could straight into Sesshoumaru.  
  
"You ok Kagome?" She just shook her head and pointed back at the now confused Hiten. Sesshoumaru growled and moved her to the side of him. He stepped forward and locked eyes with Hiten. "Leave Kagome alone." Hiten snorted. "What are you? Her protector?" Hiten laughed but stopped at Sesshoumaru's words. "I'll try to be." Hiten growled low but turned on his heel and stalked off. Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru like he was crazy, but hugged him when he looked at her. "Arigatou Sesshoumaru." He smiled into her hair and hugged her back lightly.  
  
Letting him go Kagome waved and ran off towards the shrine while Sesshoumaru walked slowly towards his house. His thoughts veered to Kagome and he silently wondered if she was thinking of him.  
  
Kagome stopped running and sighed. She thought about what Sesshoumaru had said and smiled. A car screeching brought her back out of her revery to see Kikyou driving a junked out truck and headed straight for her. Kagome dived out of the way just in time, and Kikyou was forced to swerve, running a mailbox over in the process. She had her windows down and growled at Kagome. "You got lucky this time bitch." Kagome watched her drive off and took a deep breath. Was everyone at this school besides Sesshoumaru's friends, excluding Kikyou and Jaken, crazy?  
  
~*~*~A/N~*~*~ Short chappie I know, but this sets the story up a little better. What do you think of Hiten and Jaken liking her?? I thought it was pretty funny. There'll be more moments with them. Send me some reviews or no more chapters!! (evil laughter in background) Ja ne!! 


	4. Discovered

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 3: Discovered  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated: PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and fluff later on  
  
Kagome heard the phone ring downstairs but blew it off so she could finish her book. She heard her mom answer it, but was surprised when her mother called her down. Kagome took the phone form her mother and placed it against her ear. "Moshi, moshi." She said, wondering who would call her. "Hey Kagome. I heard that Kikyou tried to run you over today. I was so stupid not to have walked with you." Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru's voice and went back upstairs, phone pressed to her ear. "It's alright. I'm not hurt or anything, and we didn't know that she was going to go homicidal on us."  
  
Kagome didn't remember when she finally got off the phone with Sesshoumaru, but she knew that she'd heard his stepfather yelling at him. She remembered Sango telling her Sesshoumaru's real dad had died and Kagome found it strange that both of them shared such a similar loss. Something nagged at her though, something she couldn't place. It felt like something was happening to Sesshoumaru, yet Kagome simply brushed it away. She knew she'd see him tomorrow morning as he was probably going to show up for Mrs. Higurashi's promised lunch and a good breakfast. Kagome settled into a deep sleep, but her dreams were haunted by visions of Sesshoumaru being kicked and punched and even beaten over the head with what appeared to be a piece of wood.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome sat up in her bed and looked at her clock. It read four thirty three exactly. She got up and dressed silently, thinking on her dreams and what she'd heard over the phone. Going downstairs she found her mother was already up, and went in to say good morning, but nearly screamed at what she saw. Her mother wasn't awake yet, but Sesshoumaru was sitting at the table with fresh cuts and bruises. Kagome stumbled to him and touched his face lightly. He looked at her and she found that, amazingly enough, his face had gone untouched.  
  
Hugging him ever so lightly and gently Kagome felt his tears as Sesshoumaru slowly began to cry. "Sesshoumaru. Why didn't you tell me about your step father?" Sesshoumaru blinked at her, wiping his eyes. "How d-do you know?" He asked carefully. Kagome smiled and sat down next to him. "I saw it in my dreams. Your stepfather was beating the shit out of you." Sesshoumaru nodded. "It's...it's been going on since I was nine, almost ten. I haven't told anybody about it because he threatened to kill my mom. I couldn't let him hurt her, she's the only person who tries to protect me."  
  
Kagome placed her hand lightly on Sesshoumaru's arm. He looked into her chocolate brown eyes, and she into his gray. "Let's get you cleaned up. The cuts I can see look pretty bad." Sesshoumaru nodded and let Kagome bandage him up. He hissed when she put alcohol on different cuts and finally she had put the last bandage on. "Hopefully they won't be as painful now."Sesshoumaru nodded again and they had everything put away just as Mrs. Higurashi walked in. "Ohayo okaasan." Kagome said as Sesshoumaru looked at the floor with interest. "Ohayo musume. Is everything ok down here?" Kagome and Sesshoumaru nodded in unison. "Hai, everything is fine." They both walked outside to the swing that held two people.  
  
"Sesshoumaru... Why don't you get your mom away from the house and then call DHS?? Better yet, bring her here and then call. The police will have him before he can do anything." Sesshoumaru shook his head. "That's just it. He won't let her go anywhere without him going along. He normally sits in the car while she does whatever." Kagome made a little 'o' with her mouth as she watched the sun start to rise. "How about you stay over here for the weekend. A break from your stepfather and all. You could get away from practically everybody here, and we've got a guestroom down the hall from my room."  
  
Sesshoumaru blinked at Kagome then smiled. "Sure. Anything to get away from Yugasagi." Kagome blinked twice. "Did you say Yugasagi?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yeah, why?" Kagome turned deathly pale and Sesshoumaru noticed her hands were clutching her skirt like she had just seen death itself. "Kagome.... How do you know Keiske Yugasagi?" Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru with fear in her eyes. "He's my.....my first adoptive parent. The one I told you about....He must have gotten out of jail after I'd been sent to Mrs. Higurashi." Sesshoumaru stared at Kagome as though she'd sprouted wings. "So do you know how to take care of him?" He asked quietly but Kagome shook her head. "There was no one he could threaten me with so I called DHS."  
  
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru's face fell. "Don't worry. We won't tell anyone until we figure this out." Sesshoumaru nodded and let Kagome give him a gentle hug. At that moment Souta came running out of the house. "Kagome nee-chan!! Okaasan says that breakfast is ready!!" Kagome stood up and helped Sesshoumaru to stand. They went inside and Kagome told her mother that Sesshoumaru would be staying with them for the weekend. Her mother simply smiled and nodded. They left with their packed lunches that Friday morning and Sesshoumaru dreaded going home to get his stuff at the end of the day.  
  
Not many people paid much mind to Sesshoumaru's new injuries. The only people who did question him were Miroku and Sango, who both seemed genuinely worried. Kagome backed up his story by stating she witnessed the whole thing, which made everyone believe that tale at least. The last bell rang and Kagome fought off her usual suitors, finally making it out to the same bench she'd met Sesshoumaru at. He appeared and they walked to his house. Sesshoumaru stepped inside and Kagome followed closely, a little bit afraid she might witness a beating. The TV was on and someone was snoring. The door to the garage opened abruptly and Sesshoumaru's mom came in just as he was entering the kitchen with Kagome.  
  
She looked from Kagome to Sesshoumaru and smiled a little. "Who's your friend?" She whispered. "This is Kagome. She's the friend whose house I've been going to for meals." Sesshoumaru's mother nodded and smiled even broader. "Are you staying at her house this weekend?" She asked in a low, low whisper. Sesshoumaru nodded and she smiled the biggest and brightest smile she could manage. "You better hurry and get your things. I'm afraid the sedatives will wear off soon." Sesshoumaru and Kagome nodded and bolted for his room. Sesshoumaru packed silently as Kagome looked at his things. He had more stuff than her, but it didn't seem to have been used all that often. She noticed that her books were stacked neatly and carefully on his desk and smiled, considering his TV was tilted sideways and about to crash to the floor.  
  
Sesshoumaru finished packing and they exited his room quietly. They reached the bottom of the stairs and Sesshoumaru's mom blocked them. "I got you an early eighteenth birthday present Sesshoumaru. You never got a car for your sixteenth or seventeenth even though you have a license. I decided it was time you had one." She pressed a set of keys into Sesshoumaru's hands and he hugged her warmly. A snore was interrupted though, and everyone looked to the living room in fear. Kagome heard someone get up slowly and watched with terror filled eyes as Yugasagi walked up to the three. "What are you doing with that yarou, baba?" Kagome realized that he had called Sesshoumaru's mom an old woman and her mouth filled with profanities she wanted to scream at him. He looked form Sesshoumaru to Sesshoumaru's mom and back again.  
  
Sesshoumaru hid Kagome behind him carefully, not wanting Yugasagi to see her. He growled and shook his head. "Well...Are you going to answer me or not bitch?" Sesshoumaru's mom shuddered. "I was just talking to him about his grades." Yugasagi grinned and cracked his knuckles. "So the little brat has bad grades does he?" Kagome felt Sesshoumaru tense as he waited for the blow. She couldn't take it anymore and shoved him out of the way, getting hit full force in the face. Yugasagi looked confused and then laughed. "So Kagome...You found my adoptive son have you. Well I guess now I can teach you the lesson that I wanted to teach you so long ago." Kagome was still trying to pick herself up off the floor when Sesshoumaru's mother stopped him. "Leave her alone. She's just a friend of Sesshoumaru's." Yugasagi laughed again.  
  
"She's my ex-daughter. I had her from when she was six to when she was eight. Isn't that right Kagome?" Kagome was at least on her knees now. She nodded slowly and stood the rest of the way. "But you have no hold on me anymore Yugasagi." Sesshoumaru was still trying to recover from the fact that Kagome had just kept him from getting hurt. He looked at her with glazed eyes. A single tear slid down his cheek as he watched her, and suddenly he smiled. Kagome was protecting him when he'd sworn to protect her.  
  
"Leave her alone Yugasagi," he said, standing up slowly. Yugasagi turned to him and shrugged. "Go where you like for now, but if you run, I'll find you." With that Yugasagi went back into the living room. Sesshoumaru's mother led them out to the garage and hugged them both. "Thank you for protecting my son, Kagome. You have no idea how much it means to me that someone else cares for him." Kagome nodded. "Meet my family and you'll see we all care for him and his safety." Sesshoumaru's mother nodded and walked back into the house while Sesshoumaru led her to his new convertible. "This must've cost her a fortune." He stated as he opened the door for Kagome. Kagome nodded and slid in sighing.  
  
Sesshoumaru drove to Kagome's and parked next to Kagome's mom's car. They walked inside and straight up to the guest bedroom. Sesshoumaru set his stuff down and turned back to Kagome. A bruise was forming on her cheek and he touched it very lightly. "Are you ok?" He asked. Kagome nodded. "It's been a while since I've been hit, but I think I'll live." Sesshoumaru nodded and let his hand drop. Mrs. Higurashi suddenly appeared with a plateful of fresh cookies. Kagome smiled and took the plate while Sesshoumaru grabbed the glasses of milk the were hidden behind all the cookies on the tray. "Enjoy." With that she went back downstairs as Kagome and Sesshoumaru sat on the guest bed eating and drinking and talking.  
  
~*~*~A/N~*~*~ Well what do you think?? Good, bad, weird.... let me know by reviews, or else no more chapters JA NE ^.~ Elbereth  
  
Glossary:  
  
arigatou~thank you  
  
gomen~sorry  
  
ohayo~good morning  
  
musume~daughter  
  
yarou~bastard  
  
baba~old woman  
  
Review Responses:  
  
black canary- once again thanks for your review  
  
sreana(i got that right didn't i??)- thanks for the review and i'll try to update as often as possible  
  
animegirl-definitely kill Yugasagi, but i promise he's gonna get it in the end  
  
Mistress Fluffy- yes they're all seventeen or eighteen. thanks for your review.  
  
darkfox-glad you like it!  
  
Remember to review if you want me to continue the story!! 


	5. Safe House

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 4: Safe House  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and some fluff  
  
Disclaimer: I sniffle don't own sob Inuyasha!! ;;  
  
Sesshoumaru woke up at nine in the morning and looked around. He smiled to himself as he watched the sun make different patterns through the curtains. He heard the door open a crack and looked over to see Kagome peeking in to see if he was awake. She didn't seem to notice he was so he sat up. She opened the door all the way and closed it behind her. "Mind if I hide out in here for a little. Jii-chan got here today and he's been trying to give me a history lesson ever since."  
  
Sesshoumaru smiled and nodded. He patted a spot on the bed and moved over a little. Kagome plopped down and leaned against the headboard. "Sleep well?" She asked. Sesshoumaru nodded again. "Better than ever." In truth he'd dreamed of her that night. He'd dreamed of her protecting him, kissing him, and so many different things that he felt dizzy. He knew he couldn't tell her so decided to just forget the dream. The problem was, anytime he even thought of Kagome the dreams popped up. He wondered if it was love, or maybe they were soul mates. Whatever it was he was dreaming about her.  
  
Kagome smiled as she thought of her own dreams. Sesshoumaru trying to protect her from Yugasagi, him kissing her gently. She ignored them but found it hard when she was sitting right next to him. "So... What do you want to do today?" Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I was wondering if we could go out to the forest and do some hiking." Kagome brightened. "Great idea. I love to hike." Sesshoumaru smiled and pushed the covers back so he could climb out of the bed. Kagome disappeared and came back in her own hiking gear. Sesshoumaru grabbed his keys and they went to the forest on the outskirts of Tokyo.  
  
Sesshoumaru pulled off on an access road that led deeper into the forest. He finally pulled over and the two climbed out and headed into the woods. There wasn't much talking as they worked their way through the tangles of trees and bramble. Hours passed like seconds, and the sky dimmed slightly. Kagome glanced up and called to Sesshoumaru for him to stop. "Hey Sesshoumaru!! It's about to rain. We need to find shelter for the moment." Sesshoumaru nodded and looked from the sky to the trees. He glanced around him when a hollowed out tree seemed to spring to the eye. He grabbed Kagome's arm and led her to it as a bolt of lightening and clash of thunder passed overhead. The rain had only started to drop when they got inside the hollow tree, which was just big enough for the two to sit comfortably next to each other.  
  
A few minutes passed and they simply watched the rain. Up to fifteen minutes passed in silence before Kagome started to shiver. Sesshoumaru noticed and placed his arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer to him than before. She smiled slightly and thanked him but they continued into the silence that only the pouring rain seemed to be able to fill.  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced down at Kagome and saw that her lips were turning blue from the cold. She looked back at him and he smiled. "Your lips are blue." Kagome smiled too. "I figured they would be." Sesshoumaru nodded and watched Kagome for a few minutes. She finally looked at him again and said, "What?" Sesshoumaru shook his head. ~Why do I have this incredible urge to kiss her all of the sudden?~  
  
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru blushed and looked away, only looking back at her when he realized she'd been staring at him. He slowly leaned down and placed his lips on hers. Both pulled back in surprise and looked at each other like they'd just met. "Um...er....I'm sorry Kag..." Sesshoumaru's apology was muffled by Kagome replacing her lips on his, their coldness making him shiver. He just let himself feel her soft lips for a moment, then he slowly slid his tongue into her mouth. Her tongue mingled with his as they kissed, making it more passionate, more intimate, than before. Slowly they pulled away again and Kagome was a bright red. She smiled slightly before Sesshoumaru kissed her again.  
  
The rain slowed finally, and then it stopped. Sesshoumaru and Kagome made their way back to Sesshoumaru's car, which they'd had the foresight to put the top on. Sesshoumaru drove back to the shrine and the two made their way up the stairs to the house. They went their separate ways for a few hours so as to think on what the day had brought out. Sesshoumaru knocked on Kagome's door tentatively somewhere around eleven. She opened it and smiled, blushing for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. Sesshoumaru closed the door behind him and they both stood there for a few seconds, wondering what they were supposed to say or do. Finally he broke the uneasy silence. "About this afternoon.... Kagome...." Kagome held her hand up with a small smile. "We kissed. I don't know about you, but it was special for me."  
  
"It was special for me too.... I guess this means we're going out..." Both teenagers broke out laughing. They spent the rest of the night talking and laughing and finally they got a few hours sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was nearly seven on Sunday evening and Sesshoumaru and Kagome were with everybody. Kikyou was shooting evil glares at Kagome constantly and everyone seemed to be avoiding her, including Inuyasha. An hour into their clubbing trip Kikyou and Inuyasha were seen talking privately, and Kikyou was then seen running away from Inuyasha angrily with tears on her cheeks. Kagome smiled to herself. The bitch deserved it.  
  
After the event with Kikyou the rest of the night went by pretty uneventful. Kagome and Sesshoumaru told everyone they were finally going out, and everyone seemed pleased enough that Sesshoumaru had finally hooked up with someone.  
  
Sesshoumaru went back to Kagome's and was about to pull out when Kagome got his attention. "The weekend's not over you baka. It won't be over until tomorrow morning so you have to stay one more night." Sesshoumaru smiled, knowing that Kagome was only prolonging his beatings for him. They went inside, and were talking about Yugasagi of all things.  
  
"Sesshoumaru.... Just call DHS on him right here. He'll never know you did it until it's too late and he can't kill your mom. You can't let this stuff continue until you graduate. Like you said to me, what would happen if we found you beaten to death or beaten to the point of almost being dead?" Sesshoumaru sighed. "I just don't want to test that particular trigger. If he even suspected that I'd called DHS he'd kill her." Kagome rolled her eyes but gave in. "Alright. We better go on to bed since we've got school tomorrow."Glancing at the now bruise on her cheek, Sesshoumaru nodded and left Kagome's room. He lay in their guest bed for a while, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Kagome, thinking of how she endured everything he did. He smiled to himself and drifted into an easy sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome and Sesshoumaru got to the school in pretty good moods. He'd had the brilliant idea of locking himself and his mother in his room with his phone and calling DHS that evening. Kagome approved and they decided to tell Mrs. Higurashi about Yugasagi. She understood completely and promised to help in any way she could. The two had actually been able to sleep until around six without having to worry about the other. They arrived at the school along with quite a few other people from their group of friends.  
  
Soon they were going to their classes and the end of school was coming all too soon for Sesshoumaru. Kagome watched him with worried glances as he took her home. He was about to drop her off when she spoke. "Take me with you. I can help you distract him and I know a lot of tricks. You must remember I met him before you did." Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I can't put you in danger." Kagome shook her head. "It's my choice, therefore I'm putting myself in danger." Sesshoumaru sighed and nodded. "Alright."  
  
As they pulled into Sesshoumaru's driveway Kagome gasped at the sight of the house. It looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to the windows, walls, and doors. Knowing Yugasagi it probably had. They stepped up to the threshold quietly. The door swung open without even the slightest touch. Both teenagers gasped at what they saw......  
  
~*~A/N~*~ Dun dun dun..... What happens next you ask? Well too bad, you'll have to read the next chapter. ^.~ I'm so mean I know.... tell me what you think please. Review or else no more chapters   
  
Review Responses:  
  
Gambit's lover- glad you're enjoying it  
  
CrissyKitty-glad you like it  
  
XxDevils-AngelxX-Was this a soon enough update??lol  
  
Noodles-in truth I didn't want Sesshoumaru to be in his normal stoic character  
  
Hikari-yeah the jaken/hiten liking kag thing was a little derranged but good to know it's funny  
  
RanRanKitsune-I'll try to make longer chapters but i can't promise anything  
  
ennovymoon-I'm trying to update after i get about ten reviews per chapter even though on some chapters it's less than that  
  
Cortney-we could start a war over Sessy but i think i'll just leave it at the fact that he's Rumiko Takahashi's  
  
ShadpwSage-lmao Mr. Chainsaw?  
  
ava-dont worry, i plan on finishing this  
  
dark witch ryanne-ryanne....if you like my other version to this story so much read it on chelsea's site.  
  
Goddess Bast-the kik trying to run kag over part was a spur of the moment idea, lol.  
  
hey everyone who's still reading this, i want to let you know i've got two other fics up. Angel Eyes is another Sessy story with an oc character and i've only had one review so far ;;.... the other is under lord of the rings for any who are interested. it's title is An Elven Love....which only has four reviews ;;  
  
Ja ne!!  
  
Elbereth 


	6. No Longer There

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 5: No Longer There  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and fluff  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha  
  
The house was in worse condition on the inside than on the out. The entryway was filled with debris from where walls and been bashed in. The kitchen was a danger zone, considering all the dishes had been smashed on the floor. They entered the living room and found the furniture turned over, the books strewn across the floor, pages ripped out. The TV and the rest of the entertainment system was sparking slightly, making that fizzing noise you here when wires are rubbing together. The pictures had been knocked down, and the glass from them was embedded in the yellowish carpet. Kagome was glad she and Sesshoumaru had kept their shoes on, or else they'd have sliced their feet.  
  
The two turned to the stairs, which looked like a danger zone. Things from the closets and bedrooms were flung down the stairs at odd angles. There was a broken baseball bat at the foot of the steps. Sesshoumaru and Kagome looked at each other in shock and raced up the stairs. They went into Sesshoumaru's room first and found it was relatively untouched. Kagome found that ironic. His room was the only one not touched over the weekend, and Yugasagi couldn't touch him that weekend anyway. They left his room for the moment and entered the guest room. It had been turned into a war zone like the rest of the house. Luckily nothing of importance was in there so they turned to the bathroom.  
  
Blood was splattered in grotesque patterns along the walls and on the porcelain of the tub. The floor tiles that were usually a gleaming white, were now a solid blood red. The blood was fresh, which made Kagome worry. They turned from the bathroom quickly and came to the last room. Yugasagi and Sesshoumaru's mother's room. The door wasn't completely closed, there was an inch wide crack that let you peek slightly into the room. Sesshoumaru was standing stock still in front of the door, not daring to push the last door open.  
  
"Sesshoumaru..." Kagome whispered, afraid that if she spoke too loud Yugasagi would find them. He turned to look at her and his face was paler then the first snow of the year. He was so pale he seemed almost transparent. Kagome looked at the door and almost screamed. There, hanging from a nail, was someone's bloody braid. Sesshoumaru's mother had been wearing a braid the day Kagome'd met her. Kagome took a deep breath, knowing that if she didn't she was going to scream and hyperventilate. She gently pushed Sesshoumaru back and touched the door, as far away from the braid of hair, that she now realized had not just blood, but skin mixed in it. She pushed the door ajar and did scream.  
  
The room was fine, except for one part. The bed's normally pristine white sheets were soaked in blood. You could see some of it dripping off from corners of the sheets, but that wasn't as horrifying as the body. The amount of blood made you realize just how much blood was in a human body. Sesshoumaru's mother lay on the bed without a scalp, and someone had decided her heart and brain were suitable souvenirs. The chest was ripped open harshly, as if Yugasagi had done it bare handed.  
  
Kagome realized she'd thought of Yugasagi and smiled to herself, it was an angry smile. He would do it like this. He couldn't just simply shoot her or slit her throat, oh no that was too simple. He had to torture her first and then scalp her. Then he just had to take out her heart and her brain.  
  
She approached the body very slowly and made sure her assumption was correct, which it was, but the hole was bigger than just for the heart. She looked at the entirety of the hole when a scent caught her. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed the outhouse smell. The intestines were spilling out of the hole, perforated, dark, and a strange contrast to the almost fresh blood. She put her hand to her nose and swallowed, bad idea but oh well. She glanced back at Sesshoumaru, who was standing there in horror. His eyes saw it but his brain refused to make sense of it. Kagome looked back at Sesshoumaru's mother and clenched her fist. Yugasagi would pay for this.  
  
Turning away from the body she walked up to Sesshoumaru and wrapped her arms around him. She held him close and led him to his room, where they sat on the bed as he slowly started to cry along with Kagome, who had silently been crying since she'd seen the intestines spilling out. She didn't feel sick or disgusted by the body of Sesshoumaru's mother, she only felt angry and sad. Sesshoumaru let Kagome hold him as he calmed down, and soon they were both sitting there dry-eyed. Kagome picked up Sesshoumaru's phone and dialed 911. She explained what had happened and soon the police cars were pulling in. They ushered Kagome and Sesshoumaru out of the house and told them to go home. Sesshoumaru was still in shock so Kagome took his keys and drove back to the shrine.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi was waiting for them, having received a call from the police about what had happened. She set them on the couch and wrapped them both in one big blanket. Sesshoumaru huddled close to Kagome, his arms around her protectively as they both thought about what they'd found. Mrs. Higurashi gave them hot tea that had soothing herbs in it so that they could calm their nerves. She contacted the police and told them Sesshoumaru would stay with them until further notice.  
  
Sesshoumaru came out of his shock and held Kagome a little tighter. He drank his tea as Kagome slowly started to sob into is chest. He held her close and let silent tears slide down his face, it seemed odd that it had been reversed earlier. But strangely enough, he didn't feel too sad about his mother's death. Nikki Abishi had been with him from the beginning of all their problems, and now he couldn't feel true sorrow for her death. A knock on the door brought both teens out of their thoughts. When Mrs. Higurashi led a police officer through the door both sat up straighter. "We found something for one Sesshoumaru Abishi. It's a final letter from your mother before she died."  
  
He handed the letter to Sesshoumaru, bowed to them and left. Sesshoumaru stared at it for a minute, wondering what the hell his mother had wrote. He opened it slowly and carefully, savoring each second. The letter read like this:  
  
My child Sesshoumaru,  
  
I'm afraid that when you read this I'll be dead. I tried my best to keep you safe, but my best wasn't enough. Yugasagi went for more liquor, but I know he's going to kill me tonight. I can't leave because he can track me down easy, he also has more than his friends on his payroll. There is a second letter in the house somewhere, I forget where I placed it, but I was going to give it to you to explain why I couldn't have gotten us out of there. Please find that letter, I can't explain it in the short time I've been allotted. Do not trust those you think of as help in this town, and I'm not talking about Kagome or your friends, I'm talking about bigger help. Yugasagi has pulled in. I must go now, but remember that I love you Sesshoumaru, and remember me in the living things of our world. Remember me as the flowers that bloom, the grass that grows, the trees who age so much slower than we do. Remember me in all these things my son. I love you.... Your okaasan  
  
Sesshoumaru blinked a few times then handed the letter to Kagome for her to read. She read through it and sighed. "We better get back to the house before the police clear everything out." Sesshoumaru nodded and they set their almost empty tea cups down and went to the door. Mrs. Higurashi handed Sesshoumaru his keys and watched as the two ran down the shrine steps. They jumped into the car with the ease only the young have and pulled out quicker than ever. They sped towards the ruined house and when they arrived found it was still swarming with cops. Kagome let Sesshoumaru lead them to a man who seemed to be in charge of keeping civilians away. He opened his mouth to tell them there was nothing to see when Sesshoumaru said, "My mom died in there and she was with me when we found her so we're going in." With that they stormed past the man and into the house.  
  
There was a lot of people in the house, most of them upstairs checking out the body that was still in the bedroom. Not many people were on the lower level, but no one was in Sesshoumaru's room period. They went into his room first after getting special clip-on passes so they could walk around the scene of the murder. Sesshoumaru grabbed all his clothes and threw them into a duffel bag that was in his closet. He grabbed other items that he needed or wanted period and tossed them into the bag. He ended up grabbing another bag when the duffel got too full. After both bags were full they put them in the car and went back inside.  
  
Kagome went into the kitchen first and then out into the garage. Yugasagi had fled after he'd killed Nikki so one of the two cars were missing. Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru and sighed. "So where do we start looking?" Sesshoumaru shrugged. Kagome rolled her eyes and looked around the garage. "Name off some of your mom's favorite things."Sesshoumaru shrugged again. "She liked fantasy books, but we only have two of those, and only one of them is the one she really liked. The other is one that Yugasagi thought she'd like." Kagome smiled. "Let's get those books."  
  
Sesshoumaru led the way to the bookshelf in the living room and started to move some of the leftover books aside. He finally found two books that were super thick and old. He handed one to Kagome and looked through the other himself. Kagome smiled and pulled out an envelope with his name on it. "I think we found it." Sesshoumaru smiled but put both books under his arm. "I think I'll keep these and treasure them." Finally Kagome led Sesshoumaru out of the house after they'd collected anything else of value to Sesshoumaru. The police didn't question them at all, which made Kagome nervous, but they made it back to the shrine, and after rearranging the guest room into Sesshoumaru's they sat down to read the second letter.  
  
It read as follows:  
  
~*~A/N~*~ Don't you just hate me?? I keep living you with cliffies ^.^ (evil chipmunk laughter in background) Don't worry, the next chapter will be out relatively soon, but only if I get some good reviews and no flames.....^.~ Ja ne!! Elbereth 


	7. Friends Work for the Enemy

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 6: Friends Work for the Enemy  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and fluff  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha(I can only wish)or the song Living Sacrifice.  
  
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Review Responses:(yes they are before the story)  
  
CrissyKitty-ummm.....cough, cough  
  
Goddes Bast-i'm glad you're so into my story. i hate kikyou too, so you're gonna love one of the upcoming chapters  
  
Suki-i hope this was soon enough  
  
Mystical Angel-wow! my fic really made you almost cry?goes into shock that her story could possibly do that  
  
XxDevils-AngelxX-damn, now i gotta think up another way to torture yugasagi. hmmm....oh and believe me, i don't think you're evil or a maniac, you're just like me and a lot of other people i know.   
  
Neway people....I suggest that all of you read To be betrayed by XxDevils-AngelxX it's pretty good. Also would someone plz check out my other two fics?? well neway, here's the story  
  
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**My Child Sesshoumaru,  
  
I know that these beatings by Yugasagi are normal, but no one could ever be used to them. You are almost ready to get free, thank the Gods. I warn you that should I ever die you must not trust the police or the DHS workers of this city. They are all being paid by Yugasagi to help hold us to him. Also, beware of a woman that has long black hair and blue eyes. She is much older than you'd think and has a connection to Yugasagi you'd never believe. I don't know her name, nor do I know much more about her. I must go before Yugasagi gets back but I pray this will be of some help. Love your okaasan.**  
  
"What does this mean?" Kagome asked quietly. "That we're screwed no matter what we   
  
do," Sesshoumaru said miserably. He folded the letter and put it back in its envelope."The only way we'll get anywhere to getting Yugasagi behind bars is if we contact another town's DHS and police. They might not help, but we can hope. Right?" He said right like it was a question and Kagome hugged him tightly. She sighed. "Well there's nothing we can do right now. We get to take time off from school until two days after the funeral. You for the fact that it's your mother and you found her, me for finding her and the 'pure shock of it all.'" Sesshoumaru smiled as Kagome stood up and pulled her back into his lap.  
  
He rubbed his cheek against hers, eyes closed in the ecstacy of just being near her. Kagome's eyes were closed to, and they sat there for a moment. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, then the other, then the bridge of her nose, and then on her lips. They slowly deepened it and when they broke for air Kagome was left taking gulps of air. They snuggled for a while as it got darker and darker, when something hit Kagome. "The girl your mom was talking about. She sounds an awful lot like Kikyou." Sesshoumaru blinked and nodded. "I wonder if that's who she was talking about."  
  
Sesshoumaru shrugged and nuzzled Kagome's neck lightly. "Let's not think about that. I just want to sit here and hold you." Kagome nodded and they sat there until late in the morning, occasionally talking, but mostly sitting silent.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was the day of Nikki Abishi's funeral and Kagome was decked in a black, floor length dress. It had belled sleeves and fell around the floor in a pool of black velvet. The neck showed a lot of her shoulders and swooped low but not too low. She was wearing black slide-ons and her hair hung loose about her. Sesshoumaru had seen her in the outfit first and was so enchanted by her beauty he had almost forgotten why she was dolled up in black. Almost.  
  
His black suit and tie proved uncomfortably over starched but he didn't mind. He set his mind to whose funeral he was getting ready to go to and felt his eyes already watering. He wiped his eyes carefully and stepped out of the guestroom, which was now his room. Kagome was waiting in the kitchen, and hugged Sesshoumaru when he was standing beside her. Mrs. Higurashi poked her head inside from the back door and sighed. "The limo is here to pick you two up. Sesshoumaru, your aunt is having hysterics in there. The driver said he'd never be able to get the damages to his interior fixed." Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and offered Kagome his arm, which she gladly took, as they stepped out into the cloudy day that promised rain.  
  
Sesshoumaru's aunt wasn't having hysterics, she was having demonic possessions. She had fully throttled every piece of leather in the limo. There had been a way to preserve it until the leather was replaced, but they had to tie Sesshoumaru's aunt down to keep her from thrashing about. They even had to gag her. Sesshoumaru's uncle and his two cousins sat next to the tied woman. Sesshoumaru's uncle veered the subject away from Nikki and asked Sesshoumaru and Kagome how long they'd been together, since the couple was holding hands.  
  
Kagome blushed a bright red while Sesshoumaru explained that they'd been dating for a few days, but were much closer than any other couple that had gone out for such a short amount of time. He explained how Kagome had defended him from Yugasagi, which led to explaining the beatings from both their pasts. Sesshoumaru explained that Kagome was the one who had gone into Nikki's room and found her, how she was the one who had looked his mother over and hadn't run screaming from him saying he was too dangerous to be around.  
  
By the time they reached the church where the pretty procession would begin, Sesshoumaru's uncle and cousins were treating Kagome as if she were a favorite niece or cousin they'd never had, which pretty much meant they were asking her, 'When's the wedding?' Kagome was aloud to sit with Sesshoumaru, though they usually separated family from friends. The reason she was allowed to stay with Sesshoumaru was emotional support for both herself and him.  
  
Before the speeches began Kagome had glanced behind them and found almost the entire gang from school only a row back. Kikyou was the only one missing, big surprise. Kagome squeezed Sesshoumaru's hand gently and motioned him to look back. When he did he almost started crying. There everyone was, supporting him in his time of need. For once Sesshoumaru felt he had a real family. He was broken from his thoughts though, when the funeral started.  
  
Midway through Sesshoumaru was called up to the microphone to speak of his mother. He took a deep breath and went to the mic. "I don't know how many of you personally knew my mother, nor do I know how many of you knew what went on in our household with Yugasagi. He beat me. And any time he did, she tried to stop him. My mother, Nikki Abishi, is one of the most marvelous women who ever lived. She was able to bear the pain of any of his beatings when she wouldn't let him touch me. She protected me, and was the only one to do so for a long time, until I met Kagome. My mother was strong, intelligent, and brave. She did everything to get me out of our situation, and even if it wasn't enough, the fact that she tried is all that matters. For any of you here who didn't know my mother well, or thought of her as weak, remember this: She's one of two reasons I'm still alive." With that said, Sesshoumaru stepped down from the mic and took his seat with Kagome.  
  
Surprisingly enough Kagome was called up next to sing Nikki's funeral song. The song was called "Living Sacrifice." Everyone knew that Nikki had been a Christian, and that this was her favorite song. It also suited the feeling of her death perfectly. Kagome grabbed the mic and stood off to one side of the podium so everyone could see her. The music started and she sang with all her heart.  
  
"You were broken for me  
  
And I'm broken for You.  
  
As a living sacrifice.  
  
You were an offering  
  
Now I offer all of me.  
  
as a living sacrifice.  
  
  
  
Bread of life,  
  
come feed my soul.  
  
Living water,  
  
overflow.  
  
Holy Spirit,   
  
consume all of me   
  
I want to be,   
  
a living sacrifice.  
  
You remembered me,  
  
I will remember You  
  
As a living sacrifice  
  
Lord You suffered for me.  
  
I will suffer for You,  
  
As a living sacrifice.  
  
  
  
Bread of life,  
  
come feed my soul.  
  
Living water,  
  
overflow.  
  
Holy Spirit,  
  
consume all of me.  
  
I want to be,  
  
a living sacrifice.  
  
OH, Jesus you were   
  
pierced for me.  
  
You were crushed for  
  
my iniquity.  
  
Your punishment has   
  
brought me peace.  
  
And by your wounds  
  
I'm free, I'm free.  
  
  
  
You were broken for me,  
  
And I'm broken for you.  
  
As a living sacrifice.  
  
  
  
You were an offering.  
  
I offer all of me,  
  
As a living sacrifice.  
  
Bread of life,  
  
come feed my soul.  
  
Living water,  
  
overflow.  
  
Holy Spirit,  
  
consume all of me.  
  
I want to be  
  
A living sacrifice.  
  
I want to be....your living sacrifice...."  
  
The song ended and everyone was on their feet applauding the spectacular performance. Kagome looked at everyone across the room icily until they stopped clapping and sat down. "Do not applaud for me or any other speaker unless you truly feel they honored Nikki Abishi. I don't have an ounce of her blood in me, that would make me unworthy of even this small amount of honor." With that Kagome put the mic up and went to sit next to Sesshoumaru again. The crowd that was there for Nikki's death agreed with Kagome's words and only applauded when they felt someone had truly honored Nikki, though that was why they had applauded Kagome in the first place.  
  
Sesshoumaru squeezed Kagome's hand lightly as they made their way back to the waiting limo. They climbed in and watched with amused looks as Sesshoumaru's uncle tied his aunt up but didn't gag her this time. Miroku's cousin's, Momiji and Botan, helped to get her in the car tied up and finally everyone was settled into a seat as the limo drove behind the hersh that carried Nikki's body. Kagome expected a scolding of some sort, what she got was a thank you and then Sesshoumaru's aunt started to talk about wedding plans, which promptly made Sesshoumaru's uncle put the gag back in. "You must excuse my wife, the hysterics from earlier addled her slightly." Kagome just nodded while she tried to calm her flushed face.  
  
The rest of the funeral and reception after that went by lazily, and soon everyone was heading home. The limo dropped Kagome and Sesshoumaru off at the foot of the shrine stairs and pulled away after the door had closed. Kagome looked up the long flight of stairs and sighed slightly. "Kami-sama I feel too tired to climb these today." Sesshoumaru smiled at her and suddenly Kagome was blushing like mad as Sesshoumaru lifted her into his arms bridal style and carried her all the way up the stairs. He set her down upon reaching the top and followed her to the swing.  
  
"Thank you for singing at the funeral." Kagome smiled. "I was glad to do it." Sesshoumaru nodded and put his arms around Kagome, pulling her as close as they could get. Kagome had her hands pressed against his chest lightly, and she was slightly gripping his shirt.  
  
Sesshoumaru had cried through most of the funeral, but he hadn't seen Kagome truly crying. As he held her though, he felt her trembling, and when he lifted her face to look at, salty trails of tears streamed down like rivers. Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome, if possible, even closer to him and rocked her gently. He soothed her until her tears stopped. They finally went inside the house and went to Sesshoumaru's room. Once there they sat wrapped in a blanket, arms around each other. Kagome had changed into her girls boxers that were dark blue with silver crescent moons and stars and a black spaghetti strap. Sesshoumaru was in his black boxers with a baggy green t-shirt on. They listened to some CDs like Enya and Dido. Finally Mrs. Higurashi brought them some hot steaming tea with extra sugar.  
  
The couple accepted it gladly but finished their tea in silence and just clutched each other closer. They fell asleep in Sesshoumaru's room and That was how Mrs. Higurashi found them, sleeping side by side, arms around each other, huddled in the blanket. She smiled slightly and decided to call DHS, not knowing the danger she was putting them in.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~(A/N Yay it's not a cliffie this time!!)  
  
Sesshoumaru sat in the kitchen with Kagome, their mouths hanging open as Mrs. Higurashi explained her call. Kagome was the first to speak. "I thought you told her Miroku." Sesshoumaru blinked and shook his head. "I thought you said you wanted to tell her." Kagome shook her head when Mrs. Higurashi spoke. "What did you not tell me?" Kagome sighed. "DHS and the police are working for Yugasagi. He has more power than you'd think." Mrs. Higurashi gasped. "Oh no! If I'd known I'd have never called!"  
  
Kagome and Sesshoumaru started blurting out apologies for not telling her but Mrs. Higurashi just shook her head. "Now, now. You were both in a state of shock. It's entirely my fault. I should have asked first anyway. But now we need to know what we're going to do about it. The police and a DHS worker are on their way here to escort Sesshoumaru to the police station to file a report. He can't go with them, they'll just deliver him to Yugasagi." Sesshoumaru and Kagome nodded. "That means we'll have to run. Go into hiding, ya' know."  
  
Everyone turned to Souta's voice. "None of us are safe as long as Yugasagi is after Sesshoumaru. He's probably after Kagome too. If that's the truth then we'll all have to go into hiding so that Yugasagi won't have hostages to work with." Kagome got up and hugged her younger brother tightly. "Souta, for once I'm glad you play so many of those games." Souta smiled and opened his mouth to say something when there was a sharp knock at the front door. "POLICE AND DHS!! WE'RE HERE TO ESCORT ONE MIROKU ABISHI TO THE STATION TO FILE A REPORT!!"  
  
Mrs. Higurashi whispered. "Did anyone leave any lights on?" Everyone shook their head. They were suddenly glad they hadn't turned on the kitchen lights, even though it was early morning. Also they were glad jii-chan had been with some friends in Yokohama.(A/N I realized about midway through the story that I've only mentioned jii-chan once, so after he arrived he went back to Yokohama for a while to visit an old friend. O_o) The knock was much louder this time, but no one moved an inch. Kagome finally whispered, "Someone's coming to the backdoor to look for us. Let's go to the pantry, quick!" Everyone had scrambled into the pantry quietly and had just shut the door when a police officer came to the backdoor and looked through the glass window there. They hadn't been drinking or eating anything, so it looked as if no one had been there all morning.  
  
"CHIEF! I THINK THEY LEFT EARLIER THIS MORNING SEEING AS HOW THERE'S COFFEE MUGS IN THE SINK!!" For once Kagome was glad for the ventilation system in their house. She could hear what the police and DHS worker were saying perfectly. "GREAT. YUGASAGI IS GONNA BE PISSED WITH US FOR LETTING THEM LEAVE. I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDA GONE EARLIER THIS MORNING TO GET THEM." There was some grumbling and someone calling the chief a bastard, but then they heard the cool female voice that both Sesshoumaru and Kagome recognized. "Why speak as if Yugasagi is not here? I am here with him."  
  
There were some sharp intakes of breath from the police as the woman stalked up to the front door. Shortly afterward Yugasagi appeared at the top of the steps, not winded at all. "Thank you for that brilliant comment Kikyou my love." Kagome and Sesshoumaru both hissed under their breath at the name. "Of course love." That's when the DHS worker spoke. "How old are you girl? You only look to be seventeen." Kikyou laughed harshly, like she was swallowing glass at the same time. "I may look so beautiful because of plastic surgery, but I'm thirty years old. Yugasagi is my adoring husband."  
  
Sesshoumaru and Kagome looked at one another astounded. Kikyou was thirty? She used plastic surgery to look seventeen? That's when Yugasagi spoke. "Isn't she beautiful? As all of you know, I run the underground organization, D.E.A.D. For those of you who don't know about it but are on my payroll, it stands for Drug Emissaries and Alcohol Dealers. We send out drugs and alcohol to younger kids, which means more money for me to give to you." Kagome hissed again under her breath. "And you all know that I use some of our alcohol to get inheritance fortunes from rich kids who've lost a parent or two." The crowd gathered outside the Higurashi house laughed. "But unfortunately Sesshoumaru's inheritance lies in Izumo, where his real father died. Sadder still is the fact that only he can get it out. When you find him force him to get his inheritance and then bring him to me. I'll finish him off. Also if you find a girl named Kagome, bring her and her adoptive mother and younger brother to me. Kagome has two inheritances from her adoptive family and her real father and mother. I'll force her to get them out and then kill them all off."  
  
The crowd outside applauded and Kagome listened as Yugasagi called them to leave, that they'd come back tomorrow. Yugasagi thought he was being tricky but he said. "And chief, send an officer every four hours to see if they've returned. They must've gone with some friends because the cars are still here." With that everyone left. A few minutes after they were sure everyone was gone, the four people in the pantry came tumbling out. "We've got four hours to get somewhere. If they return and see the cars gone they'll think we came back and then went somewhere else."Kagome stated matter-of-factly. Everyone agreed and ran to their rooms, packing as much as was needed. Mrs. Higurashi did the dishes quickly to make it look as if they'd been there for a while and the police had just missed them.  
  
About two hours later Kagome and Sesshoumaru put their stuff in Sesshoumaru's car while Mrs. Higurashi and Souta put theirs in Mrs. Higurashi's spiffy suburban. They went back inside for another hour and then left. Along the way to jii-chan's old house in the center of the forest outside Tokyo Kagome called jii-chan and told him where they were for when he got back and asked where the spare key to his old place was. Inside a potted plant, of course. The house that jii-chan owned was in Kagome's inheritance, as was the shrine. All in all she owned three houses due to inheritance, that and quite a few other things. Of course Kagome didn't know this.  
  
They pulled in at the old house and Kagome ran to the potted plant and found the key. She proceeded to unlock the door and when it opened dust fell around her like a cloud. "Well it needs some cleaning. We might want to go back to the shrine and get some more stuff." Mrs. Higurashi nodded and helped Souta unload his things, which were mostly game consoles and a TV. Miroku carried Kagome's and his stuff into the beautiful one story house that time couldn't destroy. It might have been dusty but it was sturdy and the paint hadn't chipped a bit.   
  
Everyone went inside to inspect the house, and found there were two rooms. Mrs. Higurashi made the point of saying that Souta was likely to keep the teenagers up at night by playing his games, whereas she was so used to it she'd sleep through it, so Sesshoumaru and Kagome got a room to themselves. Mrs. Higurashi also wanted to go back into town to get more stuff, but Kagome made her stay put while she and Miroku went.  
  
As Sesshoumaru drove back to the shrine they were forced to park around the block, because the police officer was there inspecting the house. The two hid in the bushes and watched as the man trudged back down the steps to his car and drove away. They then ran into the house and gathered tons of things to take to the smaller house in the woods. They got everything loaded into Sesshoumaru's car and then they headed back out to the forest home. Mrs. Higurashi sent them to their room to clean and set up their things while she cleaned the rest of the house. Soon it was after dark and the four people were crowded around a small dinner table eating another of Mrs. Higurashi's home cooked meals.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Yugasagi sat at the head of a long table like you would see in business meetings. He was grinning like a mad man as he listened to the report his officer was giving him. The first officer to check told him that the cars were missing and the dishes had been done. He estimated they'd gotten back shortly after everyone had left and then left before he'd arrived. Yugasagi was still grinning because he knew that they'd be back the next day, he just knew it. Little did Yugasagi know that at that very minute his prey was setting up headquarters in a forest on the outskirts of Tokyo.  
  
+~*A/N*~+  
  
Well what do you think now?? Big twist, ne? Kikyou is THIRTY FRIGGIN YEARS OLD!! Oh I'm so evil... You just wait and see what happens next chapter. Oh and for Kikyou fans, you might want to just stop reading right now, because Kikyou's life is getting ready to go all to hell! Please review or else there'll be no more chapters!!   
  
Ja ne!!   
  
Elbereth 


	8. Tire Tracks

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 7: Tire Tracks  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, and fluff  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha  
  
Review Responses:   
  
Devidoo-glad you like it(gods i hope i get ppls names right)  
  
MysticalAngel- this soon enough....the miroku thing will be explained in a sec  
  
Fhero-sry if you dislike my using cusswords  
  
~~~***~~~MAJOR A/N~~~***~~~  
  
OK people, thank you to MysticalAngel who pointed out the name Miroku in the last chapter. I've got two versions of Tears and Smiles and the first six chapters had to have character changes. I knew I didn't get all of them so please excuse that if you see it. Luckily that was the last chpter I had to go through with the character changes on. On with the fic   
  
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Kagome watched the empty road carefully. She and Sesshoumaru, and her family, and even some of their friends were hiding in the old house out in the forest. She and her friends that were staying with them had been forced to stop going to school ever since last week when the police came searching, interrogating all of their friends and trying to arrest some. Jii-chan had come back and was hiding out with them. The people who were staying at the small house had grown greatly in numbers. Sango, Inuyasha, Miroku, Shippou, Rin, and Kohaku were now staying with them. The other members of the group weren't as highly involved and had been told to stop calling for the time being, only until the danger was over.  
  
That's how she found herself in Yokohama again with jii-chan. He'd wanted to try and contact the DHS workers here, but as it turned out, they were in on Yugasagi's plot too. Kagome had overheard someone saying they'd found the Higurashi girl and to contact Yugasagi. Instead of waiting around and being caught Kagome had slid into an empty hallway and went to a computer room. She had hacked her way onto their system and found all the cities being paid off by Yugasagi. Almost every city in Greater Japan was being paid off, but one caught Kagome's eye. Izumo was still not on that list. It was under a different listing.   
  
DENIERS was the title of the list. Kagome scanned the paragraph and found that the DENIERS list was for those cities who refused any amount of money offered, saying that they had higher moral value than that. As it turns out, the workers in DHS didn't exactly know about it, just that they were to refer anyone who came about Sesshoumaru or whoever Yugasagi was after to a certain worker, who then turned them in to Yugasagi. So as it turned out, it was all just some hidden thing that was only part of the internal workings of DHS. The police was different though. The police stations held by the money was only Tokyo's police. The other cities had refused.   
  
Kagome slipped the lists and information into her bag and slipped back out to the exit in the back of the building. She ran back to the hotel a few blocks away and made jii-chan get ready to leave. They would be leaving after dark, and had hid the car for good measure. That was where Kagome was now. She stood on the sidewalk of the empty street waiting for jii-chan to signal her over. That's when she saw his flash light blink twice, the signal to hurry over. Kagome stepped out into the street and started across when a car engine clicked on and was revved up. Kagome turned to see a car come barreling around the corner and a very well known person in the driver's seat.   
  
Kikyou looked like a maniac as she pressed down on the gas pedal, closing in on Kagome. Kagome stood like a deer, caught in the headlights, entranced by them. Someone shouted and brought Kagome to life. She jumped out of the way of Kikyou just seconds before impact. Kikyou looked angry as she swerved in the car, but Kagome didn't notice. She jumped into the driver's seat of jii-chan's car, him already being on the passenger's side. She turned the key and the engine clicked on. She revved it up in neutral for a second before putting it in forward and flooring it. There was a second where the two cars almost hit, but they slid by each other with only mere inches separating them.  
  
Kagome sped onto the highway with Kikyou tailing her, so Kagome did the first thing that came to mind. She waited until Kikyou was going as fast as them and then when the bitch was right beside them she braked. Kikyou flew ahead of them by a few miles, giving Kagome enough time to make a U-turn and make it to the scenic route. Kikyou was left dazed and confused. Kagome smiled to herself as she and jii-chan made their way back to Tokyo. Kagome drove most of the night before they reached the house. Sesshoumaru, Rin, Kohaku, Sango, Inuyasha, Shippou, and Miroku were sitting on the front porch talking when she pulled in. "Hey you guys."   
  
"Hey Kagome-chan!" Squealed Sango and Rin together. Kagome gave a rendition of what happened in Yokohama. Everyone seemed surprised Kagome could pull the stunts she pulled with her jii-chan's car. Kagome went to sleep that night with a crimson face after all the compliments and praises her friends gave her for her driving.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Everyone sat around the small table trying to see the lists Kagome had. They were the lists of cities who had people working for Yugasagi. They went trough the information over and over, and everyone decided Izumo was their best bet, if they could get their before Yugasagi caught them. That's when Mrs. Higurashi burst in with the fact that they needed more groceries. Kagome and Sesshoumaru nodded and stood up. "We'll leave you guys to go over this stuff. Sesshoumaru and I need to go get the groceries ok." Everyone nodded and Sesshoumaru grabbed his keys. The couple drove into Tokyo on high alert, watching for cops from every direction. Sesshoumaru had tucked all his hair up into one baseball cap, which was pretty hard to do with how much hair he had.   
  
They pulled in at the grocery store when Kagome saw the car again. She grabbed Sesshoumaru's arm and nodded toward it. The tag on the front of the car said Kikyou. Both tensed slightly and Kagome sighed. "Stay in the car, and keep it warmed up. I'm going to go in." Sesshoumaru looked like he was about to protest when Kagome put a finger to his lips. "I know what I'm doing Sesshou-chan." Sesshoumaru nodded, surprised that Kagome used a nickname for him. He turned and went back to the car while Kagome went inside the grocery store, looking around cautiously. She spotted Kikyou in one section and tailed her carefully with her own shopping cart. She put things in it that was needed. By the time Kikyou was leaving Kagome was still stacking up the cart with enough food for everyone.  
  
Finally Kagome got to a register and paid for everything. She proceeded to walk outside carefully. She pushed the cart up to Sesshoumaru and his car and was beginning to load the things when she heard an engine rev. Kagome silently thought, 'Oh god not again. How many times is she gonna try this?' What she said was, "Sesshoumaru, continue loading the groceries for me." Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome walked out into the pull out area of the parking lot. Kikyou was behind the wheel of her car with an evil grin plastered on her face. "This time I'll get you, you little bitch!" With that the car lurched forward and Kagome ran the opposite direction of Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru could only watch helplessly, realizing Kagome had taken the keys with her.  
  
Kikyou had pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floorboard when she saw the truck starting into the parking lot. She could only scream and try to hit her breaks when the person in the truck jumped out of the car. Kikyou, being the stupid git she was, didn't realize that she could have jumped and hit the truck. The next thing everybody knew, there was an explosion. Something had been ignited in the truck just before the driver had jumped out, which caused the lovely explosion that followed the wreck. Kagome glanced at the person who had jumped out of the car and nearly screamed. Yugasagi stood there smirking at his work. He looked at Kagome and stalked toward her. Kagome, in turn, ran back to Sesshoumaru's car, handed him the keys and jumped into the passenger seat. The two teens shot out of the grocery store parking lot and back to the highway, which they used to get back to the house in the woods.   
  
The two arrived back at the house and got inside still breathing hard from the run in with Yugasagi. "He nearly caught Kagome!!" Sesshoumaru said after catching his breath and slowing his heartbeat back down to normal. Kagome leaned against the door then sighed and said, "Yeah, but now let's just get the groceries inside." Everyone nodded and they went in and out to get grocery bags, in the end getting everything inside. Sesshoumaru flopped onto the moldy couch and sighed. Kagome sat on the floor next to his head. All of their friends gathered around and soon they were discussing how to get to Izumo. That's when Sango snapped her fingers. "We need computers with internet access. Anyone bring a laptop?" Everyone shook their heads.   
  
"Ok..... We need to get at least five computers out here." Kagome groaned. "The cops are after every single one of us Sango. Where are we gonna get five computers?" Sango shrugged but Inuyasha and Miroku spoke up. "We have at least three we can use. I would call and tell my parents, but they bugged their phone lines with tracking devices. We can still go get them though." Kagome brightened. "Hey and I have one." Everyone sat there for a second wondering about the final computer when Sesshoumaru spoke. "My old house. There are three computers still in there since Yugasagi has to live somewhere."  
  
Everyone agreed and soon there were two cars headed into town. Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and Rin in one car, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango in the other. Rin and Sango were going because someone had to keep lookout at both houses. The cars split up when they got to the road that led to the shrine. Kagome put on a pair of blue tinted sunglasses and pulled her hair back. She tucked her hair into a hat like Sesshoumaru had and then Rin yanked out a book to look inconspicuous. She sat at the foot of the steps while Sesshoumaru and Kagome ran up them. Kagome unlocked the front door and led Sesshoumaru to the office her mother used.   
  
They unhooked the computer and grabbed everything, and for once Kagome was grateful she knew how to get internet and things like that up and running. They carried the computer down the shrine steps and put it in the trunk of Sesshoumaru's car. Rin was already in the back seat and Kagome and Sesshoumaru jumped in swiftly, already hearing a car coming. They took off toward Yugasagi's house and were very pleased to find he was gone, and the key was in it's usual place. They went inside and Sesshoumaru went into his room first. Kagome worked on getting that one while Sesshoumaru went to get another one. They slipped out with two of the computers and went back in to get the final one. Kagome carried everything out and they had gotten all of it loaded when Sango called Kagome's cell phone with her own.   
  
"Kagome, we're gonna need a couple of TVs." Kagome groaned. "How many is a 'couple'?" Sango sighed. "Three." Kagome groaned again. "We've got one Kag-chan. We just need two more." Kagome sighed. "Alright. We'll meet you back at the house." With that she hung up and turned to Sesshoumaru. They were around the corner from Yugasagi's house just in case he came home. "We need two TVs. I've got one back at the shrine we can snatch, but we need one more." Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get the one in my room." Rin was still sitting in the backseat of the car when she said, "Hey take one of these." Kagome held out her hand and Rin gave her a walkie talkie.   
  
Kagome smiled and then she and Sesshoumaru went back into the house. They went up the stairs quietly and were in Sesshoumaru's room when Rin's voice came over the walkie talkie. "Kag/Sess we got a problem." Kagome pressed the talk button and spoke into the walkie talkie. "What's wrong Rin?" Rin's voice came over the walkie talkie. "Yugasagi just drove by. He didn't recognize me or the car but he should be getting there any second." That's when they heard the car door slam shut. "Ok Rin we'll be back soon." With that Kagome turned the walkie talkie off. She looked at Sesshoumaru who was listening at his door intently. He could hear Yugasagi trump into the house and then up the stairs. He walked by their door with Kagome and Sesshoumaru both holding their breath. That's when they heard him pick the phone up and call someone. Kagome, being very brave, lifted the phone in Sesshoumaru's room to her ear silently. And made Sesshoumaru stay as quiet as possible. Luckily Yugasagi was a heavy breather and didn't hear her.   
  
He dialed the number and the phone only rang once before a male voice picked up. "Moshi moshi." Kagome felt like she knew the voice. "Ah, Hiten. Good to hear from you. Have you found Sesshoumaru yet?" Their was shuffling over the phone and Kagome was glad because she needed that time to catch her breath. Hiten worked for Yugasagi, but wait, he hadn't asked about her, maybe she could use this to her advantage. "No sir. I haven't found either Inuyasha, Miroku, or Sesshoumaru. Is there anyone else you want me to look for?" There was a breath and then, "No that will be all Hiten. Oh and please call Yura and tell her that I got rid of Kikyou."   
  
"Yes sir." There were two clicks and then Kagome put her phone down silently. Sesshoumaru already had a small pulley system set up to get the TV out the window. They waited until they could hear Yugasagi snoring a few doors away before lowering the TV. Then Sesshoumaru crawled out while Kagome stayed inside. "Come on Kagome. His naps are never long." Sesshoumaru whispered. Kagome shook her head. "We have to try and find some more out about his underground business that we might not find on the internet." Sesshoumaru sighed. "Hold on. Tell Rin to come get the TV." Kagome nodded and told Rin over the walkie talkie. Rin proceeded to appear from around the corner. She took the TV back to the car as Sesshoumaru hauled his pulley system back into his room.   
  
Kagome waited as he opened the door without so much as a creak, lots of practice obvious. He proceeded to go to Yugasagi's room that the door was wide open so you could see into it. Yugasagi wasn't in there, but he was downstairs and snoring so loudly the walls vibrated. Sesshoumaru started to go through the desk with a laptop on it while Kagome rifled through the dresser. Sesshoumaru hissed at some stuff and pulled out a bunch of thick file folders. Kagome gasped and helped him get all of the files out. They laid them on the bed and continued their search. Sesshoumaru got online on the laptop and tried to get into the homepage Yugasagi had, but it was password protected so that only people who worked for Yugasagi could get onto it.   
  
Kagome finished her search through the dresser and moved to the closet. She opened the door and more file folders that were bound together came toppling out. Sesshoumaru picked up the giant stack of folders, which since they were bound together none of the papers spilt out of. He set them on the bed with the rest of it and they continued to look through the closet together. Kagome found some of Nikki's things still in their, and immediately put them on the bed. Anything they could salvage they would.  
  
Soon they were hefting the files to the foot of the stairs. "Should we go out the door or what?" Kagome whispered so quietly that Sesshoumaru almost couldn't hear her, almost. He shrugged and pointed to his room, but to their horror the sheets he'd used had partially ripped from the weight of the TV. They looked down the stairs and listened to Yugasagi's horrendous snoring. Kagome looked between her two choices of a broken pulley or taking the stairs and possibly getting caught by Yugasagi. Instead of risking it using the pulley Kagome started down the stairs in a catlike ease. She was stealthy and graceful as she eased down the stairs, her steps feather light so as not to make the floors creak. They had just made it to the front door when the snoring lightened and they heard a yawn. Of all times for him to wake up he chose the moment they were at the front door. The irony of it all was just too great.  
  
Sesshoumaru opened the door and held it for Kagome as she carried some of the files out. Somehow they'd managed to get every file into their arms so they wouldn't have to go back again. She turned and took the ones in his arms as Yugasagi came around the corner to see them there. He started after them when Sesshoumaru slammed the door in his face and ran after Kagome. They managed to get to the car before Yugasagi came charging after them. Kagome finally had enough light and a moment where everything in time seemed to slow down so she could study what he now looked like. He was thin, surprising for the fact that he was an alcoholic. His hair hadn't changed from the light brown it had always been and his eyes, the eyes that haunted some of her nightmares, were still those bloodshot strangely orange eyes.   
  
As soon as it seemed Kagome was done studying the man time lurched into its natural speed again and she scrambled into the convertible as Sesshoumaru fumbled with the keys. Yugasagi was at the end of the car and he seemed to be trying to strangle Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru shoved the key into the ignition and started the car, flooring it when the engine roared to life. Yugasagi had a moment where he tried to hold onto the car, but he soon let go and yelled at them from where he was standing. Sesshoumaru pulled in at the shrine steps and pulled out just as fast. The cop that checked every four hours was heading up the steps to the shrine. They once again parked around the corner and Rin took her post of distracting the man while Kagome and Sesshoumaru went to get the TV.   
  
Rin didn't have a tough time getting the cop's attention. She simply started screaming about a robber and the cop went running after the invisible robber. Sesshoumaru and Kagome were back quicker than ever and soon the group was off back to the base in the woods. They arrived to find everyone milling around in the living room. Miroku, Inuyasha, Kohaku, and Shippou went out to Sesshoumaru's car and started carrying in the computers. Then came the TVs. Kagome, Rin, and Sesshoumaru carried the file folders in and soon the living room had turned into a real headquarters. Sango and Kagome seemed to know the most about computers, even though Kagome had never had a personal one, so they hooked everything up and got internet established. Then the TVs were hooked up to everything on the computers, etc.  
  
"Umm....Sango? Why do we need the TVs exactly?" Asked Kagome as she looked at all the equipment in the living room. "There are video clips on the internet that everyone will need to see. There's already a TV in one bedroom and an itty bitty one in the kitchen. We needed three more to put in here, the bathroom, and the other bedroom. If we find a clip now, no matter where anyone is they'll be able to see what we're doing or what the video is. With the way Yugasagi talked about his underground corporation I needed at least five computers so that they couldn't track all of them if we hacked in at once. All these computers are set to their old houses, that's their address. If we all hack in at once only one of the houses will be hit. Besides that, we've got quite a few different things we have to investigate."  
  
"Does this mean most of us will be working on a computer for the next few days?" Asked Miroku. Sango nodded and everyone sighed. The next few days were going to be all too long.  
  
+~*A/N*~+   
  
So how do you like it. YAY Kikyou is dead!!! I know it was kinda sadistic how I handled the Kikyou situation, I think the Anita Blake novels are rubbing off on me.... Neway.... Need some more reviews so I can get the next chapter out. No more reviews no more chapters!! Ja ne!!  
  
Elbereth 


	9. A Date, Secret Agents, and Gunfire

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 8: A Date, Secret Agents, and Gunfire  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, fluff, yada yada yada  
  
Disclaimer: I'm getting really tired of typing this. I don't own Inuyasha.  
  
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Review Responses:  
  
RyoDragonl-so happy you're into my story. oh and bitch definitely burns in hell  
  
Meg-thanks for your review and pointing that out to me  
  
Suki-i'll try to keep it up  
  
MysticalAngel-glad it's good and happy you like it  
  
~*~A/N~*~   
  
This fic is getting stranger and stranger, in all honesty I get so into writing them even I don't know what'll happen next. I hope you like this chapter.  
  
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Sango and Kagome orchestrated a mass hacking of the website Yugasagi owned. While Sesshoumaru had been trying to get into it on Yugasagi's laptop Kagome had written it down so there was no searching required. Sango explained in computer terms while Kagome translated into human speech. Rin, Shippou, Kohaku, Inuyasha, and Miroku were all staring at their screens with confusion plastered on their face. Rin and Shippou finally caught on, but the other three boys were dumbfounded, so Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and Sango took their places. Souta's idea of helping out was devising a plan like in his favorite games.   
  
Before too long each person hacking into the website had gotten past the firewalls and the passwords and codes. They had just gotten onto the site and were beginning to look around when another code popped up. Everyone tried and tried, yet they couldn't get the damn code. Finally everyone gave up and turned the computers off. "What do we do now?" Asked a bored Inuyasha who was recording the codes and passwords. "We think of how to get past the stupid code dimwit." Inuyasha growled at what Sango said but one look and he shut up. That's when Kagome had an idea. "Hiten! Hiten works for Yugasagi but doesn't know that I'm one of the people he's looking for. As much as I hate this.... I'll go on one date with Hiten to get the information."  
  
"Kagome......You don't have to do that. We'll break the code.......eventually." Kagome just shook her head. "Rin. It'll take weeks to crack the damn thing. It's either I go on one itty bitty date with Hiten and get the codes or we wait weeks to just break down the code. In a few weeks we could be caught and dead." Everyone seemed to agree and finally Sesshoumaru spoke. "I'll follow in the car incase something goes wrong, but if he even comes close to...." Kagome silenced Sesshoumaru with a hand on his lips. "I won't let him do anything of the sort, but if it comes to it I know you'll be my knight in shining armor, kay." Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome pulled out her cell phone.   
  
She looked up Hiten's number and dialed. He picked up on the first ring. "Moshi moshi."   
  
Kagome looked at everyone and said. "Hey Hiten." There was an intake of breath and then, "Kagome? What's up?" Kagome let out a low breath. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight. If you're not free I'll understand, but...." Hiten's voice came through before she could finish. "Where do you want to meet?" Kagome smiled and gave her friends the thumbs up sign. "We'll meet at that restaurant down by the opera house." There was a whistle from Hiten's side. "That place is expensive, but for you I'll make an exception. What time?" Kagome looked at the clock on the wall. It was five o'clock. It would take an hour just to get to the place, not to mention she did have to dress up. "Seven o'clock." There was some movement from the other end and then, "Ok, I'll get a table reserved, one of the best."   
  
"Ok. I'll see you then." They hung up without saying goodbye and Kagome let out a long breath. "I guess I better get ready." Kagome made her way into her bedroom and started to change when Sesshoumaru knocked at the door. Kagome looked up and smiled. "Hey."  
  
"Hey." He replied. "I wanted to talk a little, ne?" Kagome nodded and patted a spot on the bed. Sesshoumaru sat down and pulled Kagome into his lap. "I feel like I hardly know you anymore. It's like this past week has been nothing but trying to get Yugasagi." Kagome nodded slightly. "Yeah I know. I...." She was cut off from whatever she was going to say as Sesshoumaru's lips met hers. It was a short and very chaste kiss, but it meant all the world to both of them. "I guess I'd better finish getting ready."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was six thirty and Jaken sat at a table inside of the restaurant next to the opera house. He had put a tab on Hiten's phone line because the guy liked *his* Kagome so much. He'd heard a lot of weird conversations but didn't hardly pay attention. Then she had called and asked Hiten on that date. Jaken had listened as Hiten reserved a table and then he himself had reserved the table right next to theirs. He glanced at his watch and sighed. Thirty more minutes and they'd be there.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome had been dropped off in front of the restaurant at six forty-five. She was wearing a crimson dress that went well with her creamy pale skin and shiny black hair. The dress was strapless and went all the way down to the ground, and even in heels it brushed the ground lightly. Hiten showed up wearing a rather nice outfit, but he looked like he was going to a wedding in the tux. He smiled at her and Kagome gave a fake smile in return. He led her inside the building and they were led to their table, which was *very* private with only two tables next to it. Someone was sitting at one of those tables, but Kagome couldn't tell who it was.  
  
Hiten was being a gentlemen as he held Kagome's chair for her. Kagome felt rather awkward but for the moment she played along. Hiten sat across from her and smiled brilliantly, it made Kagome want to retch. They started talking, and as the conversation turned Hiten let something about Yugasagi slip. Kagome had worked on her routine on the car ride there, knowing exactly how to get Hiten to tell her more. "You work for Yugasagi too?" Hiten's mouth dropped. "Yes.....and you work for him?" Kagome nodded with fake surprise on her face. "I'm rather new to his business, so of course being the occasional ditz I am I forgot the main code onto the website." Hiten smiled. "That's alright, most newcomers do. It's hanyou. No one really knows why he chose that code though."  
  
Kagome smiled and pretended to wonder why Yugasagi would choose that password. Kagome knew why though, but she hadn't thought he'd use that as his password. Yugasagi was half Japanese, half American. He looked at himself as a hanyou and was jealous of people who were full Japanese. Their dinner continued and the person in the table next to them didn't leave. That's when *it* happened. Hiten finally said, "Kagome, would you consider being my girlfriend instead of just having this one date with me?" That's when all hell broke loose. "NO!!! KAGOME WILL BE MY GIRLFRIEND!!" The person at the other table jumped onto the chair and Kagome realized it was Jaken. "KAGOME IS MINE!!" Hiten growled low in his throat as he turned to face Jaken. "BACK OFF TOAD BOY!! SHE'S ON A DATE WITH ME, NOT YOU!!" Kagome sighed and put her head in her hands, staring at the table.   
  
"So.... She's probably only with you because of a dare or something. Kagome is mine and always will be mine." Kagome started to rub her temples. That migraine was getting worse. "Who said she's yours frog man?" Jaken turned purple in rage(A/N think of Jaken as purple instead of green, lmao). "No one.... I just claim her and she's mine." Kagome stared at her table and continued to feel a worse and worse migraine. She looked up to see the waitress headed her way with the desserts. Great......she needed some cheesecake at the moment. The waitress watched the two boys as she set their desserts down then looked at Kagome. "They arguing over you?"  
  
Kagome blushed and nodded. "I'd stick with the guy you got now, he's cuter." Kagome nodded thinking Sesshoumaru was definitely cuter than these two. She knew the waitress meant Hiten, but she still thought of Sesshoumaru. She finally took notice of what the two were saying. "Look pipsqueak, she's here with me, therefore she's mine." Jaken turned from that interesting shade of purple to red. "I'M NOT A PIPSQUEAK YOU DAMN QUEER BAIT!!" Kagome almost died trying not to laugh. Hiten was queer bait, he just didn't know it. That's when another interesting thing happened. Two people got thrown through the air and both landed on the floor next to Kagome's table. "JAKOTSU!! YOU IDIOT!!"   
  
"I didn't mean to Bankotsu. Here let me see where you're hurting, I'll make it better." Kagome watched as one of the men started towards the other. "Get back you idiot. I'm fine. Go after that guy." The man obviously named Bankotsu pointed a finger at Hiten, who blinked and looked from one guy to another. "Why thank you for pointing him out Bankotsu, but I must remind you that we just got into a fight with another customer and will most likely be thrown out."  
  
Jakotsu smirked at Bankotsu's frown but then the man lightened up. "You idiot Jakotsu.(A/N he sure likes calling Jakotsu an idiot, ne?) They won't throw us out when we had more expensive seats than that guy Yugasagi." Kagome's heart stopped then and there and Hiten smiled. "So our boss is eating here tonight. Good plotting Kagome. You wanted to get us into his good graces tonight, didn't you." Kagome smiled a fake smile again and nodded. "Well let's go say hello." Kagome's stomach did a flip. "Can we wait until *after* we finish dessert?" Hiten looked to be in thought for a moment then nodded. The two men on the floor stood up and the one named Jakotsu sat in the seat next to Hiten. "So tell me girl, what's he like in bed?" Kagome choked on a bite of cheesecake. "I-I wouldn't know. This is our first date." Jakotsu nodded. "I see.... well you wouldn't mind if I stole him from you, would you?" Kagome couldn't believe she was having a conversation with some homosexual man, but when Hiten wasn't looking she shook her head.   
  
"Oh extraordinary. You're a real girlfriend ya' know hun." Kagome nodded and looked to her right to find Bankotsu looking at her carefully. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder. She smiled and he smiled back. "Don't mind my brother. He's just an idiot." Jakotsu didn't seem to notice the comment because he was busy blowing on Hiten's ear, who was trying his best to ignore him. Kagome turned to look at Bankotsu again and found him smirking. She followed his gaze and found Jaken looking at the group like he was jealous. Finally the toad looking guy paid for his dinner and left after two hole minutes of Kagome and Bankotsu staring at him.   
  
"So what's your name miss?" Kagome turned back to Bankotsu. "Umm.... Higurashi, Kagome." Bankotsu nodded. "I'm Sugishita, Bankotsu. It's nice to meet you." Kagome smiled. "And you." At that moment Hiten had enough of Jakotsu. "Look. Would you two birdbrains leave my date and me alone?" Jakotsu looked flustered and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well so much for being friendly." Kagome sighed. "Hiten....be nice. They just want to talk." Hiten looked Kagome in the eyes and nodded. Jakotsu smiled brightly and started a conversation with Kagome over clothes and makeup, which made Kagome feel extremely odd. Bankotsu listened partially, while also keeping an eye on something Kagome couldn't see. Finally he shut Jakotsu up. "So you two work for that jerk Yugasagi?" Hiten looked stunned at Bankotsu calling Yugasagi a jerk, Kagome merely nodded slightly.   
  
"Oh shit......Hiten I gotta go. I forgot completely about Sango!! We were supposed to go to a friend's party tonight. I totally forgot about the time!" Kagome said the first thing that came to mind and it worked. Hiten smiled slightly. "Well if you must go, then go. I'll call you sometime." Kagome nodded and stood up. Big mistake. Yugasagi was looking directly towards her when she stood up. There was a wall that hid her completely when sitting, but when standing her head was visible. Yugasagi stood up and Kagome caught the movement. She started toward the door slowly while Yugasagi watched her ever carefully. Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Hiten stood up to follow her when Yugasagi yelled at Hiten. "HITEN!! CATCH THAT BITCH!! SHE'S HELPING SESSHOUMARU!!" Hiten looked at Yugasagi for a second then he got angry and looked to Kagome. She had used him and lied to him. She was so gonna get it.  
  
Kagome looked between Yugasagi and Hiten and when Hiten started toward her she bolted, not an easy thing to do in pumps, but when the time arises. Suddenly Jakotsu and Bankotsu had both tripped Hiten and were pulling guns out of a spot at the small of their backs. Yugasagi sent three of his people after them as Kagome ran out the door with Bankotsu and Jakotsu tailing her. Gunshots beat at them and Kagome saw only one thing that distracted her from the noise. Sesshoumaru pulled up in front of the building and Kagome slid into the open passenger side door. Jakotsu and Bankotsu jumped in the backseat as Kagome was closing the door and suddenly they were flying down the highway to the house.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So who are you guys exactly?" Kagome asked once Sesshoumaru had slowed down when they reached the highway. "We're who we say we are. Bankotsu and Jakotsu Sugishita. We're agents from America. We got called into Japan a few years back because of this Yugasagi guy. We'd heard he was a major drug lord." Kagome snorted. "That's an understatement. Look, we've got a headquarters set up back at our house in the woods with all of our friends who've been pulled into this mess. I'll explain more there." Bankotsu nodded while Jakotsu looked at Sesshoumaru dreamily. "Oh and Jakotsu." Jakotsu looked Kagome in the eyes. "Sesshoumaru is my boyfriend, he's not up for grabs, ok." Jakotsu looked from Sesshoumaru to her and then noticed that their free hands were locked, fingers laced. He nodded.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome opened the front door to find everyone was watching a movie Souta had thought to bring with him. Bankotsu looked around and mouthed the word 'wow.' Kagome decided the site was worth a wow. They had gotten the computers and one TV setup so that they filled practically all the free wall space in the living room. The floor was just a mess of sleeping bags, pillows, bags of chips, and soda cans. It looked like a mix between a business corporation and a slumber party. Everyone looked up from the very end of the movie and turned it off. The lights came on and suddenly there was a mass cleaning spree. All of the sudden the living room really did look like a headquarters. There was a table in the center of the room with some paper thrown onto it and all the files Sesshoumaru and Kagome had found along with the list of people Yugasagi was paying.   
  
"Hey you guys. We've got American FBI agents on our side now!!" Everyone looked at Kagome then took in the two men behind her. "You mean more help?" Inuyasha looked at Jakotsu skeptically. "Yes Inuyasha, more help. Now listen up. The password to get all the way into the site is hanyou. Hiten slipped it to me when he thought I was another worker who was new." Sango laughed at that. "He really is dumb, isn't he?" Kagome nodded and threw her purse into one of the bedrooms. She slid the dress off to reveal a tube top and a pair of gym shorts. She tossed the dress and pumps into the room also and went to the table. "Alright you two, come here."   
  
Bankotsu and Jakotsu looked skeptic but walked up to the table and watched as Kagome pulled out two files in particular. She handed one to each and they flipped through them. "But, Ms. Higurashi, this is your file, and the one Jakotsu has looks like Mr....." Sesshoumaru spoke up. "Abishi, Sesshoumaru." Bankotsu nodded and looked at the two files. "What do you have to do with Yugasagi." Kagome sighed. "OK. Listen carefully because I'm only saying this once. Yugasagi is the leader of a group called D.E.A.D. or Drug Emissaries and Alcohol Dealers. They hand out drugs and alcohol to teenagers, and that's where Yugasagi gets his money. He also gets money by adopting children with large inheritances or marrying a woman whose kid has a large inheritance. Then once they get the inheritance out he kills them and takes the money. He has been paying off DHS workers and Tokyo police for years it seems. The only safe city in Greater Japan is Izumo."  
  
"The ironic part is that's where Sesshoumaru's inheritance is. The problem with getting to Izumo and getting the inheritance and turning Yugasagi in is the fact that there are road blocks by Tokyo police on every road leading out of Tokyo. I was adopted by Yugasagi when I was six and was with Yugasagi till I was eight. He beats the children he's with and there's nothing anyone can do about it. We set up with all these computers and TVs to investigate his site, etcetera. I was with Hiten tonight to get the overall password."  
  
Bankotsu seemed to be in thought before nodding. "This is basically an infiltrate and destroy mission. Once we get more agents over here we can arrest Yugasagi and his right hand men. There's not much we can do about all of the workers because most of them will just go back to a normal life after this. I don't think I should let you all continue this investigation anymore though." Kagome turned around and slapped Bankotsu so fast that he dropped the file he was holding and swayed slightly. "Look Bankotsu. I don't care if you're an agent from America or not, but Sesshoumaru and I will remain on this investigation whether you like it or not. We've both been beaten by this man and Sesshoumaru's mother was murdered by him. My friends will also remain because they are being hunted also."  
  
Jakotsu looked between his brother and the fired up girl. "Look Bankotsu, it's only two more agents anyway. We're going to need all the help we can get. I'm not saying we put them in danger, but at least let them help us investigate." Bankotsu huffed a little but finally agreed. He called the two agents with Kagome's cell phone and an hour later Naraku and Kagura showed up at the door(A/N super strange, ne?). After that the investigation of the files and the website commenced. They found a recurring pattern with the files of children that Yugasagi had. They had all gotten inheritance out of the bank and then were mysteriously murdered. Well those mysteries were solved.   
  
On the website they found lists of places drugs were being shipped to and the prices of the alcohol they were selling on the streets to teens. They found out that Yugasagi had started a citywide search using the police, DHS, and agents in the schools to find them. That's when they found the videos. "VIDEO CLIPS!! WE'VE GOT VIDEO CLIPS OF DIFFERENT KIDS DEATHS!!" The TVs throughout the house were turned on and the video clip started. The video showed them getting the inheritance out and then showed Yugasagi sexually abusing the girl before he shot her in the head. Kagome had horror written across her face, as did everyone else except the FBI agents from America.  
  
The video clips went on and on. The videos were of every child, of every teenager Yugasagi had ever adopted. Their was a video of everyone except for two people. Kagome and Sesshoumaru were missing. With that they found floor plans for an underground building and the true reason Yugasagi needed all this money. Above the floor plan was a link that led to Virus 337.  
  
Kagome was on one of the computers at the time, so she clicked on it. She put it on the TV screens. People poked their heads out of different rooms. "What's this thing about Virus 337?"Asked a bewildered Bankotsu. Kagome was reading the paragraph and shrugged. "It doesn't say. All it says is that the progress of Virus 337 is going slow, but if they get anti-oxygen chambers it'll move much quicker."  
  
Sesshoumaru stood behind Kagome and sighed. "I can explain it." Everyone seemed to have heard him and all activity stopped. All eyes were on Sesshoumaru as he spoke. "I heard Yugasagi talking about it once when he thought I was asleep and he had two of his partners over. Virus 337 is a virus meant for mass murder. Yugasagi has it planned so that he can send the virus via missile and wipe out all of the American states. He intends to hit Hawaii and Alaska just as harshly as the rest of America. I know that he's half American and he hates that half of him, but still. Why does he do it this way?" Kagome smiled and placed a comforting hand in his. "Yugasagi is a sociopath. I learned that a long time ago." Sesshoumaru looked into her eyes and nodded. "As did I."  
  
Bankotsu cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. "Ok, so we've got a new virus, a sociopath bent on destroying America, and a bunch of inheritance claims he's stolen. What do we do now?" Kagome sighed. "There's a floor plan of his underground building. I guess it works to have an underground organization based in an underground building. Look, Sesshoumaru and I can slip in with you, this is our revenge, but mostly Sesshoumaru's." Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru as she said the last. He smiled at her but shook his head. "Ite(A/N can anyone tell me if it's ite or iie. I've seen it spelled too many times as iie but in others it's ite), this is a revenge for both of us. For both of our innocence lost. Yugasagi must pay by our hands." Bankotsu looked slightly pale, Jakotsu looked a little pleased.   
  
"Well now then, that's settled we can go ahead with our infiltrate and destroy plan." Souta said happily. Bankotsu sighed and nodded at the kid, who was about four years younger than everyone else. Souta smiled and ran to the table, shoving plans out of his way, moving some to the floor. He finally unrolled a big map plot(A/N hey I dunno what they're called) and yanked a pencil out. Sango handed him the printouts of the building's floor plan. "Ten underground levels, ne? They must've had to plan precisely how to build this to avoid the subway. Yeah, the building slants in starting at the seventh level to accommodate the subway, which runs lower than normal there to avoid an underground spring that's obviously kinda new considering how close to being above ground it is."   
  
Everyone looked at Souta for a second and then all shook their heads mentally, going back to whatever they were doing. Bankotsu stepped outside. Sesshoumaru noticed and followed him. "So Bankotsu.....You, Jakotsu, Kagura, and Naraku aren't really FBI agents are you." Bankotsu had turned at Sesshoumaru's voice, and now he simply let out a long held breath and shook his head. "No. We're here from Hong Kong. We're Japanese yes, but we were sent to Hong Kong on special business ten years ago. Now we come back and everyone at the station is under Yugasagi's thumb. We placed Naraku and Kagura in at the highschool after we arrived back to keep careful watch on Hiten and Kikyou. Everyone at the station thought we were going along with them, but in reality we were betraying them to the American government."  
  
"So what about the American government? Are they going to do anything to help us?" Bankotsu sighed. "These things take time. And then we found out our messages were being intercepted by Yugasagi's men." Sesshoumaru let out a long sigh. "So the American government has no clue and can't help us?" Bankotsu nodded. "That's why we posed as FBI agents. We wanted to give you guys some hope." Sesshoumaru smiled. "We don't need that type of hope. What we need is help getting in there so that we can get Yugasagi back for everything he's done."  
  
Bankotsu nodded and looked up through the forest canopy at the stars.  
  
"Whatever I can do to help, I will." Sesshoumaru nodded and the two went back inside, preparing for the infiltration that was going to commence.  
  
+~*A/N*~+   
  
So what do you think about this turning all secret agent and stuff?? To tell the truth I was just typing, minding my own business, when this stuff came spouting out. I dunno if I like it, but I can change it if the reviewers want me to. OK so here's my poll. Keep it like it's going or change it to something else? I want to know what I should do and I'll try my best. That does mean I'll have to go back to what, chapter six and rewrite, but if that's what you all want I'll do it.   
  
Ja ne!!   
  
Elbereth 


	10. Infiltration

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 9: Infiltration  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, more fluff soon promise  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.....;;  
  
Review Responses:  
  
kikyo-hater-glad you like  
  
MysticalAngel-lmao yeah the Nar/Kagu helping Sess/Kag was a little strange  
  
AKayLi-don't worry, Yugasagi gets a painful deathevil laughter in the background  
  
Inu Yokai-continuing ^.^  
  
Fluffy23-ty for the review  
  
DragonRose-more fluff soon, promise  
  
shanaka-i'm happy you like it  
  
Suki-so glad you've reviewed for almost every chapter  
  
RyoDragon-ty for the review and thanks for specifying iie.  
  
AnImEfReAk8-one of the best you've read?wow  
  
Goddess Bast-I hope you like the other stories too & i'm glad you like this one soo much  
  
CrissyKitty-the only detective books i read are Laurell K. Hamilton books and hers are a mix between preternatural stuff and detective books. oh and thanks for specifying iie.  
  
+~*A/N*~+  
  
Ok I know that it switched from a romance to an action/adventure secret agent thing. And to think it started out as a romance/drama......hmmm.... oh and the polls are officially closed with a vote of drum role a unanimous vote to keep it the way it is. Here's the next chapter.  
  
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Sesshoumaru sat down on the edge of the mattress. Here pretty soon the room would have people in it waiting to change. He sighed as the doorknob turned and looked up to find Kagome closing the door. "Hey." She said a little tiredly. "Hey." He replied with a small smile. "Tired?" Kagome nodded and walked over to him. He pulled her into his lap and she sighed, leaning back into him. They were both a little warn out from their day. It had been two days since they'd bet Bankotsu and Jakotsu and found out about Naraku and Kagura. The past couple of days had been spent printing out files, writing out infiltration plans, and getting the chemicals needed to destroy Yugasagi.   
  
In truth Kagome and Sesshoumaru had made sure Yugasagi wouldn't get off easily. They weren't just going to kill him, oh no, he needed to suffer. What better way than the way they were planning? After they'd gotten the chemicals they'd sealed them up and made the mixtures, everything needed to make him suffer, but the final chemical needed no mixing, and was the most dangerous and lethal. But the two soon to be eighteen year-old people weren't thinking of their plans, they were looking into each other's eyes without another care. Sesshoumaru slowly leaned down and kissed Kagome gently on the lips. The kiss deepened, their tongues entwining. Kagome pulled back first. They were so lost in each other they didn't notice that everyone had come in to get clothes to change into and left without getting anything.   
  
Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. "We haven't been able to do that in a while." Kagome nodded. "But soon this'll all be over, and we can be together in peace." Sesshoumaru's smile widened. "Kagome, when do you turn eighteen?" Kagome blinked at the question. "A couple of months, why?" Sesshoumaru's smile got, if possible, a little wider. "I turn eighteen in two weeks. Kagome, when we're legal adults, would you possibly......" Sesshoumaru trailed off and let the sentence die. Kagome looked slightly confused and was about to say something when someone knocked on the door. "Hey!! Lovebirds!! How about you let us people change into our jammies?"  
  
Jakotsu's voice came through the door. Kagome rolled her eyes and got up. Sesshoumaru followed suit and they grabbed some clothes to change into.   
  
Kagome opened the door to find almost everyone waiting. "Sorry." Kagome whispered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Sango, Rin, and Kagura smiled and grabbed Kagome's arms, hauling her out onto the porch. "We're going to a nearby cave that has a hot spring in it. We'll talk there!" Sango said a little too excitedly. "Ok. Come on, let's get our supplies!" Kagome said, not realizing what their little 'talk' was going to be about. The girls went back inside and grabbed their bathing stuff and towels and clothes and went through the twists and turns of a dirt path to the cave with hot springs in it.  
  
When everyone was settled in the hot spring Sango immediately said, "Didn't you get what Sesshoumaru was hinting at?" Kagome shook her head slightly. Sango rolled her eyes, as did Rin. "He wants to marry you Kag!!" Kagome turned a bright red but shook her head. "You are delusional Sango." Kagura sighed. "I believe Sango is right." Kagome looked at her. "Not you too!!" Rin giggled. "Kagome, you just don't want to accept that Sesshoumaru likes you that much!!" Kagome got a deeper shade of red and sunk a little lower in the water. The conversation turned at that point, to Sango and Miroku. "So Sango, Miroku's going to be nineteen and you're already eighteen. When are you guys tying the knot?"   
  
It was Sango's turn to blush and sink in the water. "I don't think we'll be getting married any time soon. I have to break his habit of groping other girls and asking them to bare his child." Everyone laughed at that and then it turned to Rin and Kohaku. "So Rin, you and Kohaku going on actual dates yet?" Rin got the reddest out of all three and dove under water, coming back up on the opposite side of the spring. "We go on actual dates. We've even made out so there." Sango giggled. "Sure.....I saw how dazed Kohaku was after you guys got back from that club. He was sooo out of it he ran into a wall." Rin blushed even darker, if possible. That was when everyone turned to Kagura, who gulped slightly and backed to the edge of the spring.   
  
"So Kagura. Were all those heated moments you and Naraku had just an act or are you really dating?" Kagura blushed for the first time ever and Kagome giggled slightly. "I guess it wasn't an act." Kagura growled low in her throat. "It started out as an act, but......Naraku proposed a few nights ago." Sango squealed and Kagura was suddenly in one of Rin's death hugs. Kagome gave her congratulations with a smile, but deep down the Sesshoumaru thing was tugging at her. Did he really want to propose to *her.* Did he really want to marry someone like her. Kagome thought back to life in Yokohama and remembered one guy who she thought had loved her. Hojo had dumped her the second he had found out she was a problem to his reputation. She had thought he'd loved her, but that was all a load of shit.  
  
The group of girls finished bathing and dried off, changing into their jammies and heading back to the house. Kagura, Naraku, Jakotsu, and Bankotsu got the other spare bedroom while Souta and Mrs. Higurashi got the other. Everyone else unrolled their sleeping bags on the living room floor and sat up talking and laughing. Sango and Miroku ended up getting into a deep conversation, which meant it was about Miroku's habits. Rin and Kohaku had drifted off in their sleeping bags mid sentence and Inuyasha sat against the wall, feeling slightly out of place with the rest of the group. Shippou was fast asleep when everyone else had finally gotten their sleeping bags unrolled, which he usually was. Kagome and Sesshoumaru didn't talk, they felt like being close to one another was enough for now.   
  
Everyone finally drifted off, but it took Sesshoumaru the longest. He lay awake thinking over what was getting ready to happen. They'd found from the plans that Yugasagi preferred to work after dark, so the next night was when they would hit the organization. He lay there thinking about how they were going to torture Yugasagi, and then leave him to die slowly and painfully. He thought about it and wondered how he could even think about doing that, but then memories of beatings would come back to him, and then he'd suddenly feel reassured in his decision. Finally he drifted off, unknown to him, but with his arm around Kagome's waist lightly.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru woke up with a start and realized he was the first one awake. In the night he had ended up pulling Kagome closer to him, and now she was very close to him, her head buried in his chest. He smiled down at her and looked out a window. It was about mid morning from what he could see, and he needed to be ready to go by five that afternoon. Even if the sun was setting later than usual because of it being so close to summer, they had to get there early to get door codes from contacts within the organization. If he remembered correctly the guy's name was Nobunaga. Supposedly this Nobunaga guy was on Bankotsu's side and was undercover in the organization, so he could get them the codes.   
  
Sesshoumaru pulled away from Kagome, who in turn, curled into a small ball from losing his warmth. He smiled slightly and went to shower. When he was done showering he slipped into some jeans and a red muscle tank. He pulled his hair back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck and went out onto the porch. A few minutes passed as Sesshoumaru gazed through the trees to the sun, which was making its way up to the top of the sky. He smiled as he spotted a lone wolf through the trees. It surprised him to see one this close to a human household, but he stayed very still and watched as the wolf came closer. It sniffed around the place and finally ran off. Sesshoumaru let out the breath he was holding and sighed.   
  
The door opened suddenly and Kagome stepped out. "I thought you were out here." Sesshoumaru turned to her and smiled. "Yeah, I wanted to get some fresh air." Kagome nodded and moved to stand beside Sesshoumaru. They leaned against the porch railing as Kagome battled with herself. 'He didn't want to propose. He was simply wanting to know.......Ok so I don't know what he was going to say.' Then the small voice in her head piped up. 'He wanted to propose and you know it.'  
  
'Oh shut up. Even if he did propose I wouldn't know what to say.'  
  
'You know what you'd say. You'd say yes. You love him.'  
  
'Do you ever just leave people alone?'  
  
'Ite.'  
  
'So what if I say I don't know if I love him or not?'  
  
'You do, don't deny it.'  
  
'Fine. I love him ok. Now will you just go away?'  
  
The voice disappeared along with Kagome's train of thought. "Kagome.......You know how I was trying to ask you something but didn't have the nerve to last night?" Kagome nodded, feeling her face start to redden. She shoved the embarrassment and fought with a vengeance to keep from blushing. "Well.............Never mind. I'll ask you later." Sesshoumaru looked back into the sky and Kagome sighed internally. 'Only one way to find out.' "Sesshoumaru......Please just ask me what you're going to ask me. I don't want you to keep it to yourself." Sesshoumaru looked at her and let out a long breath. "Kagome.........Ite it's too soon. I can't do it yet. Please just wait for me Kagome." Kagome nodded, understanding that this was probably the biggest decision of their lives.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Five o'clock had come and past and they had the door codes. Kagome watched as the night slowly descended like a heavy cloak draped over the city. They arrived and the old subway station entrance and walked down the stairs slowly. Jakotsu was in the van they'd managed to get from the police, without the police knowing of course. He had mini cameras and microphones on them. There were also small speakers in the groups ears so they could hear what he said. Kagome and Sesshoumaru were wearing what looked like utility belts with their 'weapons' in the holders. Kagome had her hair under a wig that was bleach blonde. Her contacts were colored purple, and she had on a very revealing outfit. She looked like one of the hookers that Yugasagi used to get teens to buy drugs, etcetera. Kagura was in a similar outfit but with hair the color of a rose. Her eyes were a very odd yellow and her outfit was made entirely of leather.   
  
The guys were decked out in the usual drug dealer type fashion, which ranged from business suits to whatever Afghani's wear(A/N what the hell do they call them?? dresses?). Sesshoumaru's hair was underneath a short cut black wig and his eyes were disguised by shades. The other three guys varied between business suits to anything else some of the drug dealers wore.   
  
The doors ahead of them opened and a group of people bustled by. One of the women stopped Kagura and Kagome. "You two are late. Better hurry up before Yugasagi-san gets pissed." They nodded and the woman moved on. Kagome looked at Kagura who just looked right back. They shrugged slightly and kept moving. In truth Kagome had found it hard to wear the utility belt with her outfit, but they'd finally figured out how to make it look normal. So now they were past the first door. They continued through door and finally reached the entry hall with the giant double doors and on the other side was a shuttle that took them down to the first level. As they rode the shuttle Kagome felt a cold emptiness start to take her over.   
  
By the time they reached the tenth level, which was the lowest level, and the level Yugasagi was on, Kagome had a dead look on her face. During the shuttle ride the crew had switched their clothes into more stealthy and less outstanding clothes. Kagome took the contacts out and shoved them into the giant bag they had with them. Sesshoumaru looked at her and she looked at him. They had the exact same emotionless stare, devoid of all life. The crew stepped off the elevator and Kagura went with Naraku while Jakotsu and Bankotsu went off in the opposite direction. That left Sesshoumaru and Kagome to look at the doors down the hall straight ahead. They walked down the hall slowly and gave the code to open the door.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagura and Naraku ran down the hall to the left. They kicked open any doors and found every room empty. They finally reached the last door, their guns drawn and ready to shoot the head off anything that moved. They opened the door and were greeted by the chamber that held Virus 337. There were only two workers in the room, and both looked up when Kagura and Naraku entered. Hiten and Manten stopped dead and stared at them.  
  
"It's been so long Kagura. You never came to see me after I asked you out at school." Hiten said flirtatiously. Kagura rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I'm way outta your league kid." With that the shooting spree began. Hiten suddenly had a pump action machine gun, fully pumped. He started to shoot at Naraku and Kagura, who had already taken cover. The shots continued and continued until finally Hiten ran out of ammo. Kagura was up and shooting him before he could get the machine gun re-pumped. He had it pumped before Kagura got a good shot in and started to shoot again. Unfortunately he forgot the golden rule of machine guns that you aim lower than your target because the force of the gun makes it move up. He aimed directly at Kagura, who was in midair, and missed her completely.   
  
Manten was working on getting his gun loaded, being the amateur he was. Naraku shot him in the head quickly but Hiten caught it and screamed angrily. "MANTEN!!" Manten died instantly though, his last words having been about how he wished he were more like Hiten. Hiten grew angrier than ever and got his priorities in order. Kagura had managed to take cover, but now Hiten was pissed and started shooting again. Kagura and Naraku had no time to fire back, but both got up the courage to shoot at him. Through the hail of bullets they stood, and in unison shot him, once, twice, three times in the chest. Unfortunately he managed to keep a hold on the trigger as he died, and he took Kagura and Naraku to hell with him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Bankotsu and Jakotsu were doing much the same as Kagura and Naraku, kicking every door open and checking all the rooms, finding each empty, until they came to the final door. They had heard gunshots already from Kagura and Naraku's end, but they knew the others could handle whatever it was. Jakotsu looked at Bankotsu, who nodded and they kicked the door open in perfect unison. It was an office room with two people in it also.(A/N anyone catching a theme??) Urasue(A/N however you spell the bitch's name who brought Kikyou back as a pot) and Yura were sitting in two of the leather chairs, one with a comb being woven in and out of her fingers, the other with a pot of something. Bankotsu looked at the two women and nodded slightly. Jakotsu took the sign and they started shooting.   
  
Yura smirked and the comb turned into a shield. Urasue chanted something and the stuff in the pot melted all the bullets. That's when they attacked. Yura's comb turned into a spear and she hurled it at Bankotsu, now standing with an evil smirk. Bankotsu couldn't block the spear, but he could shoot the wench. He shot her in the head and in the chest, then the spear took him through the heart.   
  
Jakotsu saw his brother fall through his peripheral vision. He also noticed Yura had been destroyed. That left him and Urasue. She started chanting and the junk in the pot slowly formed and shaped and made it's way toward the freaked out Jakotsu. He took the chance of upsetting a spell and shot the woman through her stomach. He pulled the trigger repeatedly, moving the gun up steadily until he clicked empty. Even with the witch dead though, the gunk that was in the pot continued toward him. Jakotsu suddenly realized what it was and smirked. He saw the vase filled with water and picked it up, flinging it on the gak that moved towards him. The stuff stopped moving through the air and fell to the ground, shattering into millions of pieces. He walked over to Bankotsu and pulled the spear out. The thing turned back into a comb and Bankotsu groaned. "Illusions suck you in older brother?"   
  
Bankotsu grinned. "I guess they did." He stood up and there wasn't even a mark as to where the spear was supposed to have hit him. "Come on, we gotta check on Kagura and Naraku."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jakotsu shoved the tattered door open and smirked at the site of Kagura and Naraku's bodies laying on the ground. "You can get up now." Kagura rolled over and looked at him. Naraku just sat up and groaned. "Damn, I was afraid those were glazer safety rounds. If they had been we'd be dead." Kagura chuckled. "Glazer safety rounds are almost impossible to use with a machine gun, ne? In a hand gun sure they're dangerous, but they don't have the impact they need in a machine gun." Naraku nodded and the two got up off the floor. "Do we know how Sesshoumaru and Kagome are fairing?" Naraku asked carefully. Bankotsu shook his head. "I hope everything works out." Kagura said quietly. Everyone nodded and they looked to where Kagome and Sesshoumaru had gone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
Sesshoumaru watched as the wall in the office room opened to reveal another door. Kagome hesitated but finally they both walked through and stepped into Yugasagi's real office room.  
  
+~*A/N*~+   
  
Oooooh. I bet you all are hating me right now!! Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I have to go to bed and this will make you all send me more reviews, ne. I bet the death scenes were weird, ne? In case you're wondering, glazer safety rounds enter the body as a small hole, but exit as a super huge one. Shoot a person in the head point blank with those in a gun and their head is GONE. The cool thing about them is they don't go through anything but human bodies. You hit a wall with one in an apartment, no dead neighbors to explain. No I don't own any, I just read to many Laurell K. Hamilton novels. ANITA BLAKE BOOKS ROCK!! Oh, eh heh.....sorry for the outburst.  
  
Ja ne!!  
  
Elbereth 


	11. Yugasagi

Tears and Smiles  
  
Chapter 10: Yugasagi  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for violence, occasional language, upcoming gore, I PROMISE MORE FLUFF SOON!!  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. At least I don't have to write this too much more, wait, I've got two other fics and more getting ready to be posted. Kami help me!!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
MysticalAngel-Yeah, the hot spring scene was pretty funny.  
  
Spring Angel-thanks, at least now i know the difference  
  
Suki-glad u like and sry it took so long to update  
  
RyoDragon-u can stop running in insane circles now  
  
agrias-101-glad u like  
  
Dragon Rae- yeah i noticed i put in too many cliffies!   
  
+~*A/N*~+  
  
Ok my computer started having problems and wouldn't connect to the internet for some strange reason. Well me being the complete idiot I can be started to try and find the problem. In all honesty I had no idea what I was doing, but anyway, the EVIL computer decided to be difficult and wouldn't connect even after I went through all these different problems. Word to the wise, kicking the damn thing does NOT help.......it only restarts the piece of shit. sigh Also I've had orientation for the beginning of school and then i went on a weekend trip with no computers!!! Sorry for taking so long to update!!  
  
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Sesshoumaru and Kagome both tried not to scream at the little scene they found. Yugasagi was raping a girl, and he was also oblivious to the fact that he had visitors. He proceeded to pull a gun out of his pile of clothes and was moving to pull the trigger when Kagome's gun was already out, round in the chamber. "Don't move an inch Yugasagi or else I'll take your head off. These are some of Naraku's homemade rounds." Yugasagi looked up at them and slowly got up. Kagome followed his head every inch of the way while Sesshoumaru got the little girl gathered in his arms and over into the other office.   
  
"Go ahead Kagome, shoot me." Kagome smirked and shook her head. "Are you kidding me. You haven't suffered hardly enough to bet off that easy." Yugasagi's smirk disappeared as Kagome's turned into a sadistic smile. Sesshoumaru reappeared, one of his 'weapons' in hand. Kagome moved toward Yugasagi, gun still pointed. She walked like a cat, one foot in front of the other, directly in line. Her hips swayed as she moved, and she looked ethereal, like something from your worst, but best dreams. She looked like a seductress but she also looked like the world's best assassin. Sesshoumaru smiled to himself as he watched her move. She was definitely beautiful in that light.  
  
Yugasagi shivered involuntarily as he watched Kagome move toward him. That's when Kagome and Sesshoumaru both slid their shades on. Sesshoumaru threw his 'weapon' at Yugasagi and a slow smoke solution rose from the small grenade. Yugasagi smirked. "What's the smoke for? You gonna scare me then run away?" He started to cough though, while Sesshoumaru and Kagome slid small gas masks onto their faces. Yugasagi held his throat choking. "What is this shit?" Kagome's eyes glittered viciously as Sesshoumaru answered in a monotone voice. "That would be a smoke solution with a hint of truth solution." Yugasagi was sweating as he watched Sesshoumaru talk. "You mean truth smoke?" Sesshoumaru nodded.   
  
"You are now forced to speak only truths or the smoke will eat away your lungs bit by bit. Now, tell us why you want Virus 337 deployed to all of America. Why not just send some to your father?" Yugasagi growled, opened his mouth, then clutched his chest in a soundless scream. Kagome shook her head. "We warned you. Now tell us the truth." Yugasagi nodded. "Because all Americans should die. They think they're so high and mighty compared to us." Kagome shook her head. "Now, now Yugasagi. What made you think that Americans think like that?" Yugasagi looked at her, sweat on his face. "Because that's how my father felt. My father beat me you little bitch. I had to watch him rape my someone one night. Where do you think I got all these psychopathic ideals?" Sesshoumaru stepped up next to Kagome. "What about your mother?" Yugasagi smiled evilly then. "He killed her."   
  
Sesshoumaru got angry then and before anyone could say or do anything he had done a roundhouse kick and knocked Yugasagi to the floor. That's when he pulled out his next 'weapon' in sync with Kagome. They threw the 'weapons' directly into Yugasagi's eyes and they exploded. Yugasagi screamed in agony and clutched at his eyes, which were now filled with chemicals that would either burn his eyes out or make him go blind. He whimpered in pain and clawed at his eyes, and before too long there were bloody scrapes running down his cheeks. Then he started to claw his eyes out. Neither teenager turned their head at this. They watched as Yugasagi continued to scream, writhe, whimper, and claw at his eyes. Finally they looked at each other and nodded. Kagome pulled out one of their final weapons as Sesshoumaru pulled out the other in his set. They set out two small grenades and then two capsules. The capsules opened right before the grenades went off. The grenades held white phosphorous and the capsules held the miasma to contain it.  
  
The two turned back and went into Yugasagi's other office room and found the girl curled in a tight ball. She was about the same age as Souta, and was trembling. Kagome lightly touched the girl's shoulder. She didn't scream, just looked up into Kagome's eyes. She flung herself onto Kagome and sobbed her heart out. Kagome made slow soothing circles on the girls back as Sesshoumaru watched the two with a smile on his face. He knelt next to the girl and Kagome and wrapped his arms around them both. The girl found comfort in having them both their, and she slowly fell asleep in their arms.  
  
Sesshoumaru picked her up and helped Kagome stand with one hand. They made their way back down the hall and met up with Naraku, Kagura, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu. Naraku and Kagura's clothes had bullet holes in them, but that let you see the body armor underneath the clothing. Bankotsu had a hole in his shirt directly over his heart, but no wound. Jakotsu seemed to be the only one who was untouched besides Kagome and Sesshoumaru, who had the upper hand the entire time. The group slowly made their way into the elevator and up to the first level, where they were met with people surrounding them holding sniper guns and blue jackets with the letters FBI on the back. Everyone put their hands up except Sesshoumaru, who was holding the little girl. "WHO ARE YOU?" One of the agents yelled.  
  
"Police Detectives Naraku, Kagura, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu sir. We're here on an infiltrate and destroy mission. Everything destroyed." The FBI agents lowered their guns slightly. "Who are the three people with you?" Bankotsu looked at Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and the little girl. "The two teenagers came in with us after Yugasagi. They're both ex-adoptive children of his and they had to get him before he commenced with Virus 337. The little girl was raped and was almost killed if it weren't for those two. They also destroyed Yugasagi's office with white phosphorous while he was in there. The miasma screen is up so that it won't spread. There are four other bodies down there." The FBI agents seemed to believe them and groups went down the elevators to see to the complete destruction of the virus and other things. The detectives, as the four policemen were formally known as, and the three civies, as Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and the little girl were now being called, were ushered to an interrogator.   
  
When all interrogations were done the group was excused, and all seven left gladly. They made it back out to the house in the woods and the rest of the group excitedly had a party set up.  
  
The party lasted well into the night and everyone thought it was all fine when Kagome's cell phone rang she answered out on the porch and almost dropped it when she heard the voice on the other end of the line. "Hello my dear Kagome. I bet you thought you pegged me tonight, ne?" Kagome looked at the phone and tried to control her breathing. "Yugasagi. How did you escape? Sesshoumaru watched you burn." There was a low laugh on the other end of the phone. "No, you watched my twin brother die. I'm sitting at my home nice and comfortable. Now listen, if you think I'll die that easily then you are severely mistaken."  
  
"I've got the real virus here at my real hideout. I'm going to keep you updated daily, so that you'll know when I'm preparing to launch it. Oh, and watch out for dark alleys. I severely wish to peg you like my brother did that little girl. Also, you might want to watch out for her, she's a friend of mine." Kagome hung up then and there and ran inside, pulling out the gun she still had. "YUGASAGI'S ALIVE!!!WHERE THE HELL IS THAT LITTLE GIRL?" The girl in question was standing next to the kitchen door with an evil smile plastered on her face. Everyone made a clear path between Kagome and the little girl. Kagome growled low and raised the gun up to the little girl's head. Everyone seemed to only be able to watch as the girl's smile faltered and Kagome pulled the trigger. The girl's head exploded when the bullet hit, and all that could be seen was blood and something thicker and darker landing with dull thumps on the floor.  
  
Sango was the first to speak. "Why Kagome?" Kagome was shaking slightly but she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "She was working for Yugasagi." Everyone seemed to take a few seconds to register the fact before there was a mass cleaning and then Sesshoumaru approaching Kagome. "How did you know?" Kagome sighed. "Yugasagi called me a few minutes ago and told me. He said he'd call everyday to keep us updated on the virus and when he'd launch it." Everyone had seemed to have heard her and the group all collapsed to their knees. "WHY WON'T HE DIE?" Screamed a frustrated Sango. Kagome put her arms around her friend's shoulders. "Don't worry. You couldn't stay in the parking lot earlier or else you might've spotted the difference. We ordered you to drive back here after we left the car there earlier. We'll kill him though. He will suffer."   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sesshoumaru attached Kagome's cell phone up to a speaker phone and a tracer that Kagura and Naraku had pulled out of nowhere. It had been three days since the first call and they were waiting for the daily five minute call Yugasagi made. The tracer only took two minutes, so they were safe. The phone rang and Kagome picked up. "Hello Yugasagi." There was a pause then, "Hello Kagome. How is everything? You seem to be a little happier today." Kagome smiled slightly. "Oh I had a dream about blowing your brains out last night. Everything with me is fine." Yugasagi chuckled. "That's good. Oh and by the way, the virus is almost complete. Four more days and it'll be ready." Kagome sighed. "I won't let you get away with this Yugasagi." That commenced the usual small argument they had that lasted suite a few minutes. By then they'd gotten Yugasagi's real location, which was a rundown building in the middle of Tokyo. Kagome hung up after Yugasagi and everyone smirked at Yugasagi's address. "Perfect. Now all we need is to get in without being detected, again." Stated a tired out Kagura. Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. This time we're going to just walk in and take him out. No more planning, no more anything. I want him to suffer. I want him to be in pain like the rest of us have been."  
  
That commenced the collection of chemicals once again, but this time they didn't need the truth smoke, which took a while to make. This time they needed simply their guns, white phosphorous, and the miasma. The phosphorous was easy, as was the miasma, and they had the guns with Naraku's homemade ammunition. Perfect.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome and Sesshoumaru were going in alone this time. They stepped into the building Yugasagi was at as Kagome chatted with him on the phone. "So Kagome, how is the shrine doing?" Kagome smirked as they walked through the doors. "Oh it's fine. I have to go Yugasagi, but I'll talk to you later." There was a chuckle and then a 'right, later.' Kagome put her phone up and the two walked in to find almost the entire police force was working on things in the building. Sesshoumaru had packed so much extra ammunition he could kill a blue whale with it. They ran through the hallways shooting everyone who tried to stop them. That was how they found the people who were truly against Yugasagi. The ones who didn't hinder them simply nodded and waved them on. The guard outside Yugasagi's door moved aside almost reverently.   
  
Sesshoumaru kicked the door open and Yugasagi spun in his chair, surprised. Kagome stood beside Sesshoumaru, their guns squarely pointed at his head. He raised his hands very slowly and stood. Sesshoumaru motioned him around the desk and Yugasagi came. That's when he smirked and hit the floorboard running underneath Kagome. Kagome had a split second to move before the small grenade detonated, knocking her unconscious. Sesshoumaru growled and shot Yugasagi in both knees. Yugasagi screamed as he fell to the floor. Sesshoumaru grabbed Kagome's chemical weapons and proceeded to shoot both of Yugasagi's arms off. He then flipped him over and look down at the tortured Yugasagi. "Having fun yet?" Yugasagi blinked at him and Sesshoumaru set white phosphorous pods on him(A/N they ran out of the grenades so they switched to remote activated pods).   
  
Yugasagi recognized the pods and started to squirm away. "Now, now Sesshoumaru. You know I always thought of you as my true son." Sesshoumaru smiled and hoisted Yugasagi onto his desk. He set out the miasma capsules and they opened. Sesshoumaru backed up to the door and holstered his gun. He then pulled out the remote that opened the pods. They opened and Yugasagi's eyes turned into saucers. He screamed as the phosphorous ate at him, one continuous shriek that signified they knew it was the end of everything. The screaming was long, and every time he ran out of breath, he drew one so quickly you couldn't tell where the pause was. His hair had slowly been burnt from his head, and now the rest of his skull followed. Yugasagi's skin was turning into what looked like melted wax, and slowly it started to slide off his body, baring muscle and tissue and bone. Yet still Yugasagi screamed and Sesshoumaru stood there watching it. Yugasagi's clothes were burned away and the stubs that had been legs and part of his genitals were missing. The flames of phosphorous had taken everything that was left and yet still Yugasagi's lungs and vocal cords and everything needed to scream remained in tact. He screamed so shrilly and sounded so scared that Sesshoumaru had to smile. Yugasagi was dying the slow painful death he deserved. The skin that had melted and slid off Yugasagi's body was turning black with the wood of the desk. Sesshoumaru's mind had turned the key, flipped the switch, so that he could watch the bastard burn. "Iie, he won't truly burn until he reaches that pit in hell, where he'll spend all of eternity." Sesshoumaru whispered to himself. The muscles and tissue were burning off, some of them with flammable gases exploding slightly. When all the organs and muscles and tissues and veins and everything else had burned away, leaving nothing but a skeleton whose mouth was still hanging open in and unfinished scream, Sesshoumaru pulled his gun out and pointed at the head of the skeleton. He pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet slid through the miasma and destroyed the skull. The area inside the miasma finished burning, and finally the phosphorous died, leaving nothing behind. The miasma disappeared signifying the end.   
  
Sesshoumaru finally turned and walked out into the hallway, Kagome in a bridal style carry. The guard smiled and looked inside. His smile got wider. "You plan this or what?" Sesshoumaru nodded and put his gun up. He carried her slowly to the front of the building, where the people from the station who were on his side watched in awe and respect. Sesshoumaru went to his convertible and set Kagome down gently. They then drove back to the house in the forest. The group had their victory party for real, with no phone calls from the real Yugasagi, considering no trace of him would ever show up again. The FBI had called Kagome's cell, asking them to come to the police station for questioning the next day, but after that no one payed any mind to the phones.  
  
Everyone started to load their things back into cars to take home, and Kagome had finally awoken midway through the party. She sighed as she and everyone else started to pack. She had gotten so used to having everyone around the past few weeks that it was going to be pretty lonely without a bunch of people around. Unknown to her, the entire group felt exactly the same. They had finally gotten everything out of the house and everyone had started to leave, when it happened. There was a giant explosion one, two, three, four spots in Tokyo. The group of cars stuck together in a caravan and reached the Tokyo area to see that two houses, an underground building, and a rundown building in the middle of Tokyo had exploded. No one had been in the houses or the buildings, luckily, and the two houses had everything of importance moved out of them. Kagome and Sesshoumaru drove to the shrine, and let out a sigh of relief when they found the shrine safe.  
  
That's when everyone wondered whose house the other house was. They knew Sesshoumaru's old house was one, but what about the other one? It turned out to be Kikyou's. After the explosions everyone seemed to be ready to stick with each other again, but all went home, and soon all felt lonelier than hell.  
  
Kagome and Sesshoumaru were at the shrine when it happened. Sango called. "Kagome. Do you mind if I stay at your house for the weekend?" Kagome smiled. "Not at all." Then Sango had said she'd be over in a few. After Sango called Miroku called, then Inuyasha, then Shippou, then Kohaku, then Rin. They had all wanted to stay over for the weekend. Soon the group was there, and it still didn't feel the same. They camped out in the living room, sleeping bags set up, sofa pushed back along with the coffee table. They laid on the floor watching movies and playing video games with Souta. The weekend came and went, everyone went back to school for the last few weeks. School ended, and that's when the news came to them.  
  
+~*A/N*~+   
  
Ok people. One more chapter. I promise it'll have all the fluff I kinda forgot to add in there. PROMISE IT WILL!! It's gonna be a really sweet chapter with a few twists in the group's future and Kagome's decision on which house she wants and which one she'll leave to Souta. It is going to be my finale. Don't forget to review!! See you there!! Oh and no more reviews mean this is the finale, and that would kinda suck, ne?  
  
Ja ne!!  
  
Elbereth 


	12. Epilogue:Our Future

Tears and Smiles  
  
Epilogue: Our Future  
  
By: Elbereth  
  
Rated PG-13 for mainly fluff now ^.^ warning, may get a little graphic, but I'm not really too good with the love scenes so constructive criticism might be nice!!  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha ok.......wow I made it!!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
RyoDragon-thanks for the review. you might want to tone down running in insane circles.  
  
MysticalAngel-yeah the bastard is finally dead and so's his brother.  
  
AnImEfReAk8-amazing eh? you were hanging off your seat? wow! glad you like  
  
Tears and Smiles-The story sucked you in? I've read fanfics like that, but I honestly don't believe mine is that good. I know,I know, I need to just stop being a humble ass and accept the fact.  
  
Suki-glad you like it. death by white phosphorous is definitely on my top five list of ways not to die.  
  
Mala Valvah- a terrific author? ok I'm just gonna stop being a humble ass, thanks for the compliment and I'm glad you like my story.  
  
+~*A/N*~+  
  
sniffles The epilogue......I can't believe how quickly I got through this fic. The only reason I've been updating almost daily is all the great reviews.....sniffles all you reviewers are great!! Not one single flame has been sent to me on this fic amazingly enough. I seriously thought that not many people would like it, but maybe that's just my pessimistic, nothing ever goes right, mind talking. Yeah that would be it. Well here's the deal..... Shall I do a sequel or not?? I want to know if I ought to make a sequel to this b/c one of my friends said I should. To forewarn you, if I do a sequel it will be a crossover fic most likely with more OC characters. Review and tell me what you think I ought to do... on with the epilogue sniffles again then starts to cry  
  
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Senior year had come and gone and Kagome's eighteenth birthday approached at a rapid rate. In fact, it was one day till her birthday and Sesshoumaru was nervous about it for one reason. His gift was going to be much different from everyone else's, but it would probably be the most treasured, probably. He was about to pull it out and look at it again when Kagome knocked on the door. "Hai." Sesshoumaru said. Kagome opened the door and closed it behind her. "Ummm.....eh heh.......Jii-chan is trying to give me history lessons again." Sesshoumaru chuckled and patted the spot on the bed beside him. Kagome smiled and sat down, leaning against him with her arms around his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and they sat like that for a little. Sesshoumaru pulled back and looked down into Kagome's eyes. She gazed into his eyes and Sesshoumaru made that slow descent to capture Kagome's lips.  
  
The kiss was deep and passionate, tongues entwining and exploring the other person's mouth. They broke for air, and instantly thought that they needed the other person more than ever at the moment, but were afraid that the other didn't feel the same. Kagome stood up and walked over to the door. "It's strange not being with everyone else still. I enjoy my privacy yes, but it's so much more fun with everyone around, and if I need privacy I can go out somewhere in the woods or something." Sesshoumaru nodded and watched as Kagome rummaged through his CDs. Kagome turned and looked over at Sesshoumaru. "Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday, ne? I was thinking that after the celebration and stuff we ought to go to Izumo and get your inheritance, then go to Yokohama to get the inheritance form my real mom and dad, and then get the inheritance from Mrs. Higurashi. She said the inheritance was going to me straight after I turned eighteen, so I guess we need to get it out and set up our bank accounts." Sesshoumaru nodded slightly. "So what about Souta?" Kagome smiled. "He gets whichever house I don't choose from the Higurashi inheritance and then the money was split in half. We're both pretty much set for our futures."  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded again and seemed lost in thought for a while. Finally Mrs. Higurashi called for Kagome to help make dinner and Kagome disappeared. Sesshoumaru laid on his bed staring into space until the scent of Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi's cooking reached his nose, then he was down the stairs and at the table as Kagome carried a pot out. Dinner went by uneventfully and soon Kagome was outside with Sesshoumaru on the swing sitting in his lap, his arms around her and her arms crossed over his. His head was on her shoulder and she had laid hers on top of his. They watched as the sun set making the sky turn into brilliant oranges, reds, magenta, and yellows. At the moment the sun had started to set behind the horizon Sesshoumaru caught Kagome's lips once again. They stayed outside until it became full dark and the stars were glittering above them.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome had strictly forbidden an actual birthday party from happening, so everyone had come over for dinner and sundaes after that, and then anyone who had gifts for her just handed them to her for her to open. Sango had given her a new pair of cargo jeans, Miroku a new Enya cd(A/N Miroku....insightful......shakes head), Inuyasha got her a card with fifty bucks in it, Shippou got her gun ammunition from his uncle's shop along with a Browning Hi Power. Rin got her a very interesting outfit, which Kagome later learned was body armor, but their were two outfits and an extra gun, which Kagome deducted were for Sesshoumaru. Kohaku gave her a tight fitting t-shirt that said 'IT'S OK' underneath that was a skull and cross bones and then underneath that was 'I'm with the band.'   
  
Kagura, Naraku, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu showed up a little later than everyone else, but their gift wasn't just for Kagome, it was for everyone, including Souta. "Our gift to you is this." Jakotsu handed a file to everybody in the room except Mrs. Higurashi and jii-chan. Kagome stared at her file. "Th-this is a document to start our own agency. We even have lists of clients and places to get equipment, etcetera!!" There was a lot of shuffling as everyone looked through their files. "We don't have to go through school or anything. This stuff bypasses all of that and we have gun carrying permits and stuff!"Said a very excited Sango. The documents included places to get computers and other things needed for a personal agency. There was even a name made for it. "Black Starlight Agency?" Questioned Sesshoumaru. Kagura nodded. "I thought of it. I was thinking about everyone here and then I thought about how when we went in on the infiltrate and destroy mission your eyes and Kagome's eyes had turned dead almost, all trace of light blackened. There is always a hint of what looks like starlight in your eyes, so when that disappeared I thought of blackened starlight. Then it hit me. Black Starlight Agency."  
  
Everyone decided the name was fine, but now they had to set up a headquarters. No one wanted it in town because of Yugasagi's supporters who survived finding them, that's when Kagome smiled and looked at everyone. "The house in the woods, ne? We can build it up and make it a real headquarters." Everyone agreed to the idea, partially because they'd all been missing the company and also because they missed the woods. Bankotsu then gave everyone news that surprised them all. "We'll also be joining your agency if you don't mind." Everyone agreed happily when Sesshoumaru cleared his throat. "If I may, I have a gift for Kagome."  
  
Everyone quieted and let Sesshoumaru speak. He pulled a small velvet covered box out of his pocket and knelt in front of Kagome. He opened the box revealing a beautiful silver(A/N I think gold is just too gaudy)ring with a sapphire laying on it flat. There wasn't anything sticking out(A/N dude I have no idea what those things are called that hold the jewels), it was just a silver ring with sapphire inlaid into it in a floral design. "Kagome.......Will you marry me?" Everyone burst into applause and cheers while Kagome stared in awe and shock. "H-hai.......Oh Sesshoumaru it's beautiful, but you didn't need the ring, I'd marry you without it." Sesshoumaru smiled and Kagome slowly leaned down while Sesshoumaru raised up. They met halfway in a small kiss. Everyone burst into applause again and Kagome turned a bright red while Sesshoumaru just smiled. "Sesshou, where'd you get the money for something like this?" Sesshoumaru's smile grew. "I got my inheritance out that week after we killed Yugasagi." Kagome smiled.  
  
"So I only have to get my inheritance out." Sesshoumaru nodded and slowly got up off his knees. By then the hole room had gone into either A) tears or B) shock. Mrs. Higurashi was sobbing while Sango had slow tears rolling down her cheeks. Miroku was simply staring at them, and Inuyasha. Shippou, Rin, Kohaku, and Souta were all just watching with indifference. Kagura, Naraku, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu looked pleased. Jii-chan was going on about how he knew they were a perfect match, had read it in the horoscopes, and everyone just rolled their eyes.  
  
After that everyone slowly disappeared and left Kagome and Sesshoumaru to their own devices. Sesshoumaru smiled and picked Kagome up bridal style. He carried her to her bedroom where they kissed and talked about the wedding until they feel asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome, Sango, Rin, and Kagura were all laughing and talking about something as they waited for the music to start, signifying the beginning of the wedding. Sango was happy as was Kagura because they'd both gotten proposed to. Kagura, Rin, and Sango were in the silver dresses Kagome had chosen for the bridesmaids. The dresses were strapless with straight skirts hitting the floor. Their bouquets were maid of sakura blossoms and roses, Kagome's favorite mix.  
  
Kagome herself was in a pure white gown with a train and thin straps. Her hair was pulled back into a crown of tight ringlets that cascaded down her back partially. The veil floated around her face like an almost transparent halo. Her makeup was light, very light. She was wearing white eyeshadow and a little lipgloss, but other than that there was nothing.   
  
The music started and they all got up to begin the wedding. The bridesmaids went before Kagome and then it was her turn to walk down the aisle. Bankotsu stood like the proud father even though he was only a friend. He offered her his arm, which she took gladly. They slowly made their way down the aisle as all heads turned and everyone stood to see Kagome. Bankotsu led her down to the altar before releasing her arm with a whisper of good luck. Sesshoumaru stood smiling at Kagome, who shyly smiled back. The ceremony began and moved on in its methodically slow rhythm. It came to the part everyone yearned to hear the most. "Do you Sesshoumaru Abishi take one Kagome Higurashi to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, through poorer and richer, in sickness and health, till death do you part?"   
  
"I do." Was Sesshoumaru reply without a hint of embarrassment, confusion, or other conflicting emotions. "And do you Kagome Higurashi take one Sesshoumaru Abishi as your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, through poorer and richer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?" Kagome smiled. "I do." She said it just as confidently as Sesshoumaru had and both were soon going through the final motions of the ceremony. After the kiss and the reception and the happy couple had gotten back from their honeymoon though, they had to work on their agency headquarters.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kagome watched as the construction crew finished up the final work that was being done on the house in the woods. The construction crew had expanded the house and turned it into a two story, but it still just barely held everybody who lived there, but they didn't mind. The main room when you entered had computers and a couple of TVs set up along with the table for plans and files. The upper story had two bathrooms and four bedrooms while the first floor had two more bathrooms added on. Finally the Black Star Agency headquarters were open. She looked to her husband Sesshoumaru and they smiled, kissing lightly. Soon he picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bedroom dubbed theirs.   
  
He set her on the bed lightly and fell to his knees on the floor beside her. He looked at her over the side of the bed and then slowly crawled on, all the while looking like some great predator. Kagome smiled as he crawled over her, and finally stopped with his face inches from hers, the rest of her body pinned by his. He leaned down and kissed her passionately, which made Kagome move underneath him, causing his other member to harden. Somehow during their kiss their shirts ended up on the floor, and now Sesshoumaru was working at Kagome's jeans. Kagome slithered her way out of the heavy denim material and was left laying on the bed in nothing but her undies. Sesshoumaru had seen her like this many times since the wedding, and each time was just as exciting as the last.  
  
Kagome fiddled with the button on Sesshoumaru's jeans and soon he was in the same state she was. Kagome unsnapped her bra and slid out of it with a skill that had been perfected over a course of time. She wiggled her way out of her panties and helped Sesshoumaru slide his boxers off. They kissed again passionately, and their bodies moved as one.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was months after the Black Starlight Agency had gone into full swing. Kagome came back to the headquarters with very good news. She walked into the crowded living room and cleared her throat, which caused everyone to look up at her. "Guess what you guys!!" Everyone seemed to give her that 'just get on with it' look and Kagome let out a low breath. "Fine..... I just got back from the doctor's office about my stomach pains and stuff." Everyone seemed to process the information, knowing that Kagome had been having stomach pains and had even been throwing up occasionally in the mornings. Everyone was ready to know what was wrong with her, especially Sesshoumaru. Kagome took a deep breath and smiled brightly. "I'm pregnant!"   
  
Sesshoumaru found himself embracing Kagome, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around, then stopping and setting her down gently. The couple was then swarmed by everyone else congratulating them and chatting excitedly about baby showers and things like that. "So how far along are you Kag?" Sango asked happily. "Four months and we didn't realize it. How did I go four months not knowing I was pregnant?" Everyone seemed to think on it, but no one really knew what to say.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was almost five months after the news had come that Kagome was four months pregnant. Everyone was at the shrine visiting Mrs. Higurashi before heading back to HQ after a long day of shopping and getting supplies and meeting new clients who only new Black Starlight Agency's phone number. They were in the living room talking(A/N yes everyone was in there). Kagome had gotten big, her stomach swollen with her unborn child. She was just getting up, with help from Sesshoumaru, when the contractions started. She gasped in pain and gripped Sesshoumaru's hands like they were the last solid thing on earth.   
  
Sesshoumaru looked at Sango and nodded. They'd had their system planned out. Sango pulled out her cell phone and called the hospital, telling them that Kagome Abishi was on her way into the delivery room. The hospital had expected for the entire group to come, so there was no hassle when everyone came through the hospital doors, Kagome in a wheelchair the hospital graciously provided. Sesshoumaru went into the delivery room with Kagome, helping her to just breath. He was put into a smock and all the doctor gear needed to be in a delivery room. As it turned out Kagome had been having contractions for a while, but hadn't told anyone because she thought it was the baby kicking(A/N though how that's possible I wouldn't know because from what I've heard there is a major difference). She went into labor with Sesshoumaru holding her hand.  
  
Sesshoumaru stayed by Kagome's side the entire time, and when the crying of the baby broke out he smiled and Kagome let her hand slip from his in her weariness. One of the nurses brought the baby to Kagome, and Kagome held her child gently, looking every bit like a mother. "It's a girl Mrs. Abishi. A beautiful baby girl." Kagome nodded dumbly as she looked down into her child's eyes. Her daughter had the most beautiful turquoise eyes she'd ever seen. "Hello Kome. I'm your mother." The small child had stopped crying in her mother's arms. The nurse took Kome from Kagome and the child cried out again, but quieted when she was settled in Sesshoumaru's arms, seeming to recognize her mother and father.  
  
THE END  
  
A/N   
  
**sniffles** I can't believe I finished my fic...... I was just as into it you guys were and I'm the author. **sniffles** So should I do a sequel or not. It'll be a Yu Yu Hakusho crossover more or less. I'll probably keep it under Inuyasha because Kagome and Sesshoumaru would be in it. This is all assuming you want me to do a sequel. If not I'll start working on Angel Eyes and Fading Betrayal, Newborn Hope. Please review this final chapter for me. I want to know the final effect it had. Thank you to all my reviewers who have continually reviewed for chapter after chapter. I don't think I'd even be at chapter 5 if it weren't for you all!! **sniffles**  
  
Ja ne  
  
Elbereth 


	13. Author's Note: Tears and Smiles Sequel

Alright all you Tears and Smiles fan...I know I asked around if people wanted me to write a sequel to Tears and Smiles or not. I've gotten mixed emotions for the idea, and more or less, it would most likely be a flop, especially because I would have to do a crossover between Inuyasha and another story. I talked with a friend about doing this once I finished Punk Problems, but the plain and simple is, I don't think it is worth the effort. Those of you who wished for a sequel...Well..Write me and give to me your reasoning, and possibly an anime to do a good crossover with. Either way, I'm open to opinions, so please send me a message. Anyway...I just thought I'd send out the message, so...Gimme an opinion!

Shadow Daughter 


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